Keep Running
by alloftimeandspacemelodypond
Summary: **Series 1 onwards ** Doctor Elora Johannson, fellow con artist and best friend of Captain Jack Harkness. The most dangerous woman in the universe, who doesn't even know it yet. On a journey of trying to kill The Doctor, falling in love with him, being his Equal, and dealing with the Master, the Time Lords and the Silence... Well... Rewrites from The Empty Child onwards. 9/10/11/OC
1. The Empty Child

**A/N - Ok, I'm really not sure about this chapter, so bare with me. But first, a little about Elora. She is- _was _a student at the Luna University but left after meeting Jack in a bar after he promised to give her a new life. He turned her into a con woman along with him and tried to sell a Time Agent a Chula war ship. This chapter is the events of "The Empty Child". Elora dresses very elegantly, carries a 51st century PDA like River Song, and has brown hair to her shoulder blades. Through the chapters we will learn more about her, her relationship with Jack, and her past. Like I said, I'm really not confident about this chapter, so bare with me, I hope it starts to get better, enjoy. :)**

"_Excellent bottom._" A female groan- _**not that sort of groan you pervs**_ - went through the ship that belonged to Captain Jack Harkness. The captain chair span round and a young woman put her feet up against the dash-board of the ship. Her brown hair was tied into a messy bun and she wore a black dress that hugged her entire body with the sleeves down to her wrists and the hem above her knees as well as wearing black ankle trainers along with it.

"Do you have to?" The woman groaned, tapping on the flashing earpiece in her ear.

"_I've gotta go and meet a girl._" She listened to Jack say. "_But you've got an excellent bottom too."_

"What girl?"

"_Don't worry Elora, you're the only girl for me._"Jack laughed. "_Look up._" She turned to the controls and moved the cameras around before spotting a woman hanging from a barrage balloon in the sky. She wore a union jack t-shirt and had long blonde hair as her legs swung furiously, clutching the rope.

"What in the Luna university is she doing?" Elora asked with a gasp.

"_No idea._"

"Well hurry up and save your damsel in distress, before she falls."

* * *

Jack Harkness came bolting into the ship, pulling Elora up by the hand, out of the chair and pushing her across the room as she responded with a yelp. She rolled her eyes and walked off to the small bathroom through a door, and span round the taps on the bath and sat down on the edge with a sigh.

Explosions filled the air as planes whizzed past the invisible ship as Jack typed furiously, finally pulling the last control as the blonde lost her grip and fell, screaming as a blue beam shot out of the ship, catching her just in time.

"Okay, okay, I've got you." He said through the microphone.

"Who's got me? Who's got me, and you know... how?" She said nervously.

Elora leaned over to the remote hanging off the wall and pressed the "speak" button. "He's just programming your descent pattern. Keep as still as you can and keep your hands and feet inside the light field."

"Descent pattern?"

"Oh, and could you switch off your cellphone?" Jack asked. The woman wearing the union jack shirt scoffed. "No, seriously - it interferes with my instrument."

"You know, no-one ever believes that." She muttered, pulling her phone out of her pocket and switching it off before stuffing it back in.

"Thank you. That's much better."

"Oh, yeah, that's a real load off, that is." She replied, slightly hysterical. "I'm hanging in the sky in the middle of a German air raid with the Union Jack across my chest, but hey! My mobile phone's off!"

Jack laughed and Elora gave a slight smirk. "Be with you in a moment."

"The mobile communication device indicates non-contemporaneous life form." The computer said.

"She's not from around here, no." Jack replied before fiddling with the controls again. "Ready for you. Hold tight!"

"To what?!" The woman screeched.

"Fair point." Jack shrugged before pulling a lever and spinning round, getting up and catching Rose just in time. "I've got you!" She coughed slightly. "You're fine, you're just fine. The tractor beam, it can scramble your head just a little."

"Hello." She said breathlessly, staring at Jack.

"Hello." Jack replied, looking her up and down.

"Hello." Jack raised his eyebrows and nodded at her. "Sorry, that was hello twice there. Dull, but you know, thorough."

"Are you all right?" Jack asked.

"Fine!" She said as Jack set her back down on her feet and she grinned at him. "Why, are you expecting me to faint or something?"

"Well, you do look a little dizzy..."

"What about you? You're not even focused... oh boll-" Jack laughed as her eyes rolled back started to fall as Jack just caught her in time before laying on the bed next to him when Elora popped her head out of the door, back into the little ship with a bright orange towel wrapped around her.

"Fainted?" She asked. Jack just nodded back. "Better go get changed then."

* * *

Rose opened her eyes slowly, sitting up and looking around the cock pit.

"Better now?" Jack asked, watching her from the captain's chair.

"You got lights in here?" She asked. Jack nodded and reached up, turning on the lights. "Hello."

"Hello."

"Hello."

"Let's not start that again." Rose smiled.

"Yes, let's not." She looked over to the bathroom door as Elora stepped out, wearing a long, strapless, red evening dress with her chocolate brown hair, now down, hanging to her shoulder blades with her fringe gently swept to one side. She smiled softly to Rose as she typed on a PDA before pulling up one side of the dress, to reveal matching red heels, and slipped it into a harness attached to her thigh before dropping the dress back down. Rose stood up and walked a few steps towards Jack.

"So, um... who're you supposed to be, then?"

"Captain Jack Harkness. 133 Squadron Royal Airforce - American Volunteer." Jack replied as he handed her an ID card.

"Liar." Rose said. "This is psychic paper. It tells me whatever you want it to tell me."

"How do you know?"

"Two things. One - a have a friend who uses this all the time."

"Ah."

"And two - you just handed me a piece of paper telling me you're single and you work out." Elora laughed and perched herself on the bed and smiled as Rose turned to her.

"Elora Johannson, student of the Luna University." Elora said with a smile.

"Tricky things, psychic paper." Jack said, taking the paper back from Rose.

"Yeah - can't let your mind wander when you're handing it over." Rose said as Jack read it.

"Oh, you 'sort of' have a boyfriend called Mickey Smith but you consider yourself to be footloose and fancy free."

"Wha-" She laughed, embarrassed.

"Actually, the word you use is 'available'."

"No way..."

"And another one - 'very'."

"Shall we uh... try and get along WITHOUT the psychic paper?"

"That would be better, wouldn't it?" Jack said, standing up.

"Nice spaceship."

"Gets us around." Elora said with a fond smile.

"Very... Spock." Rose said, running a hand over the ceiling.

"Who?" Jack asked as Elora smirked at him.

"Guessing you're not a local boy, then."

"A cell phone, a liquid crystal watch, and fabrics that won't be around for at least another two decades... guessing you're not a local girl." Jack said, looking at his wrist as Rose sat down in the captain's chair.

"Guessing right." Rose muttered, reaching forward to touch something before suddenly, pulling her hand back quickly, gasping.

"Burn your hands on the rope?"

"Yeah."

"We're parked in midair! Can't anyone down there see us?"

"No. Can I have a look at your hands for a moment?"

Rose sat back down next to Elora, frowning. "Why?"

"Please?" She held her hands out to Jack and he ran a scanner over them.

"You can stop acting now. I know exactly who you are. I can spot a Time Agent a mile away."

"Time Agent?"

"I've been expecting one of you guys to show up. Though, not, I must say, by barrage balloon. Do you often travel that way?"

"Sometimes I get swept off my feet. By balloons." She smiled as Jack took off his scarf and wrapped it around her wrists. "What're you doing?"

"Try to keep still." Jack said as he leant over to a switch above her head. A bleeping sound filled the room and Elora smiled fondly as tiny golden specks appeared around the wounds of Rose's hand.

"Nanogenes. Sub-atomic robots. The air in here's full of them." Elora whispered as Rose watched them. Jack waited a few seconds before pressing the switch once again, making the nanogenes disappear. "They just repaired three layers of your skin." She grinned as Jack undone the scarf from Rose's wrists.

"Well, tell them thanks!" Rose laughed.

"We'll get down to business." Jack said, standing up and picking up a bottle of champagne that had just appeared by the dashboard.

"Business?"

"Shall we have a drink on the balcony?" Jack asked, pressing a button and making some steps lower themselves into the spaceship. "Bring up the glasses." He said, getting up and going up the stairs. Rose stared at Elora for a second before grabbing some glasses and following after him. Elora rolled her eyes and groaned before getting up and snuggling herself into the warm leather chair. And then it occurred to her, she should really find out who Rose was. She span around and faced the computer.

"Computer, that girl, do a scan for alien tech, find out how she got here." She said clearly.

"There is a trace from her of Artron energy."

"What about a general scan for any alien tech?"

"There is a blockage of tracing from the source of the Artron energy, but I'm picking up a DNA trace sourcing back to Gallifrey of Kasterborous."

"There's a Time Lord on Earth?" She gasped, staring at the screen. The last Time Lord was on Earth. She hastily glanced back around the ship. "This is my get out of jail card." She whispered. She squeezed her eyes shut, thinking of how guilty she'd feel once she'd backstabbed Jack. He promised to give her a life, and if he helped her with this, he'd be doing just that... just without realising what he was _really _doing. "JACK!"

* * *

Rose, Jack and Elora walked through the hospital corridors silently, the only sound being Elora's high heels clipping along the tile flooring.

"Hello?" Rose called down the corridor as they heard someone emerge out of the ward. They became face to face with a taller man in a black leather jacket and short black hair.

"Good evening. Hope I'm not interrupting - Jack Harkness." Jack said, shaking his hand. "I've been hearing all about you on the way over."

"He knows. I had to tell him about us being Time Agents." Rose said to The Doctor.

"And it's a real pleasure to meet you, Mr Spock." Jack said, patting him on the shoulder before walking off.

"Elora Johannson." Elora smirked, watching Jack as she gently shook The Doctor's hand. "I'm with the Luna University."

"Miss Johannson, may I ask do you always dress like this for an adventure?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh yes." She grinned cockily, giving him a wink before following after Jack.

"Mr Spock?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at his companion.

"What was I supposed to say, you don't have a name! Don't you ever get tired of 'Doctor'? Doctor who?" Rose asked.

"Nine centuries in, I'm coping. Where have you been? We're in the middle of a London Blitz, it's not a good time for a stroll."

"Who's strolling? I went by barrage balloon. Only way to see an air raid." Rose said as she and The Doctor started to follow Jack and Elora.

"What?!"

"Listen, what's a Chula warship?"

"Chula?"

* * *

"This just isn't possible. How could this happen?" Jack asked, scanning one of the bodies. They all stood in the ward The Doctor had come from, filled with bodies lying on beds with scars on their hands and gas masks burnt onto the skull.

"What kind of Chula ship landed here?" The Doctor asked.

"What?" Elora asked, her head snapping up in worry.

"He said it was a warship. He stole it. Parked it somewhere out there, somewhere a bomb's gonna fall on it - unless WE make him an offer." Rose said.

"JACK!" Elora exclaimed, glaring at Jack. "I hate you!"

"Sorry." Jack said sheepishly before looking up at The Doctor.

"What kind of warship?" The Doctor asked.

"Does it matter? It's got nothing to do with this!" Jack grumbled.

"This started at the bomb site. It's got EVERYTHING to do with it. What kind of warship?" The Doctor said angrily.

"An ambulance!" He turned on his vortex manipulator, showing a hologram of the warship. "Look."

"That's what you chased through the Time Vortex." Elora sighed, explaining. "It's space junk. We wanted to kid you it was valuable. It's empty. Jack made sure of it. Nothing but a shell. We threw it at you. Saw your time travel vehicle -"

"Love the retro look, by the way, nice panels -" Jack interrupted.

"Threw you the bait-"

"Bait?" Rose asked.

"We wanted to sell it to you and then destroy it before you found out it was junk."

"You said it was a WAR ship."

"They have ambulances in wars." Elora said, staring at The Doctor. "It was a con. We were conning you - that's what we are, we're con artists. Obviously as soon as I saw Rose I knew you weren't time agents."

"They're not?" Jack asked, making Elora roll her eyes at him.

"Just a couple more free-lancers." Rose confirmed.

"Ahh... should've known." Jack said. "The way you guys are blending in with the local colour - I mean, Flag Girl was bad enough, but U-Boat Captain?" The Doctor and Rose looked down at their clothes. "Anyway... whatever's happening here has got NOTHING to do with that ship."

"What IS happening here, Doctor?" Rose asked, looking around at the bodies.

"Human DNA's being rewritten... by an idiot." The Doctor said bitterly.

"What d'you mean?"

"I dunno - some kind of virus. It's converting human beings into these things." He nodded at all the bodies. "But why? What's the point?" Rose walked over and looked at one of the bodies when it suddenly sat up. Rose jumped back with a yelp and Elora grabbed onto Jack's arm in shock. Suddenly, the rest of the bodies sat up.

"Mummy?" They all asked repeatedly.

"What's happening?" Rose asked.

"I don't know." The Doctor said as all the gas-mask people stood up. "Don't let them touch you." He said as they started to advance between the four of them.

"What happens if they touch us?"

"You're looking at it." He said as they kept chanting 'mummy' at them. They cornered the four of them against as wall as Elora stared at Jack nervously.

"Jack..." She whispered.

**Please please please leave a review?**


	2. The Doctor Dances

**A/N - I'm not a hundred percent sure with this either, but enjoy anyway. :)**

"Go to your room." Elora opened one eye slowly, looking at The Doctor shouting at the gasmask people. "Go to your room!" The gasmask people all cocked their heads to one side. "I mean it! I am very, very angry with you. I am very, VERY cross! Go - to - your - ROOM!" Suddenly, they all meekly turned away and got back to their beds, laying down. "I'm really glad that worked. Those would've been TERRIBLE last words."

"Why are they all wearing gas masks?" Rose asked, walking over to the one the beds as Jack sunk himself into a chair.

"They're not. Those masks are flesh and bone." Jack said.

"How was your con supposed to work?" The Doctor asked.

Elora started at him sheepishly before breathing in sharply, "Simple enough, really. Find some harmless piece of space-junk... let the nearest Time Agent track it back to Earth. Convince him it's valuable, name a price. When he's put 50% up front - oops! A German bomb falls on it, destroys it forever. He never gets to see what he's paid for. Never knows he's been had. We buy him a drink with his own money, and we discuss dumb luck. The perfect self-cleaning con."

"Yeah. Perfect."

"The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners - Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation of it though, but you've got to set your alarm for volcano day." Jack joked, getting a glare back from The Doctor. "Getting a hint of disapproval."

"Take a look around the room. This is what your 'harmless piece of space-junk' did."

"It was a burnt-out medical transporter - it was empty."

"Rose." He said, pulling her away from the bed.

"We getting out of here?" She asked.

"We're going upstairs."

"I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn't land on anything living - I harmed no-one!" Jack shouted as they left the room. He rolled his eyes, grabbed Elora and followed after them. "I don't know what's happening here, but believe me - I had nothing to do with it."

"I'll tell you what's happening. You forgot to set your alarm clock. It's volcano day." A siren wailed of in the distance.

"What's that?" Rose asked.

"The all-clear." Elora gulped.

"I wish." The Doctor snapped.

* * *

"Have you got a blaster?" The Doctor asked as they ran up a stair case, round the corner to face a door.

"Sure!" Jack said.

"The night your space-junk landed, someone was hurt. This was where they were taken."

"What happened?" Elora asked.

"Let's find out. Get it open." He nodded at Jack. Jack grinned and pointed the blaster at the wall, pulling Elora back gently to him and Rose.

"What's wrong with your sonic screwdriver?" Rose asked quietly.

"Nothing." Jack stepped back as the door squeaked open with a perfect square-cut in the lock of the door. "Sonic blaster, 51st century. Weapon Factories of Villengard?" He asked Jack.

"You've been to the factories?" Elora asked.

"Once." He said, taking the blaster from Jack, eyeing it.

"Well, they gone now. Destroyed. The main reactor went critical. Vapourized the lot." Jack shrugged.

"Like I said - once. There's a banana grove there, now. I like bananas. Bananas are good." He grinned and walked into the room.

"Nice blast pattern." Rose said, looking at the hole.

"Digital." Jack smirked, making Elora roll her eyes.

"Squareness gun."

"Yeah."

"I like it." She nodded before they all walked into the ruffled room. There were childs drawings everywhere, furniture thrown everywhere and a portion of the room cornered with a panel of glass that had been broken with a tape player inside.

"What d'you think?" The Doctor asked.

"SOMETHING got out of here..." Elora mumbled.

"Yeah. And?"

"Something powerful. Angry."

"Powerful and angry." Jack walked through the room, dodging the children's drawings whilst looking at them.

"A child? I suppose this explains 'mummy'." Jack said.

"How could a child do this?" Rose asked as The Doctor approached the tape player and pressed the button.

"Do you know where you are?" The voice of Doctor Constantine said through the tape.

"Are you my mummy?" A child's voice replied.

"Are you aware of what's around you? Can you... see?"

"Are you my mummy?"

"What do you want? Do you know-"

"I want my mummy. Are you my mummy? I want my mummy! Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy? Mummy? Mummy?"

"Doctor, I've heard this voice before." Rose said.

"Me too." The Doctor said warily.

"Always, "are you my mummy?". Like he doesn't know. Why doesn't he know?"

"Are you there, mummy? Mummy?" The voice kept calling.

"Can you sense it?" The Doctor said, pacing the room.

"Sense what?" Jack asked.

"Coming out of the walls, can you feel it?"

"Mummy?" The voice repeated as The Doctor span round to look at his three companions. "Funny little human brains, how do you get around in those things?"

"When he's stressed, he likes to insult species." Rose muttered.

"Rose, I'm thinking." The Doctor said, pacing up and down.

"Cuts himself shaving, does half an hour in life forms he's cleverer than..."

"There are these children living rough around the bomb site. They come out during air-raids looking for food."

"Mummy, please?" The voice called.

"Suppose they were there when this thing - whatever it was - landed?"

"Doctor." Elora whispered.

"It was a med-ship. It was harmless." Jack insisted.

"Yes, you keep saying. 'Harmless'. Suppose one of them was affected - altered?"

"Doctor." Elora said again, a little firmer.

"Altered how?" Rose asked.

"I'm here!" The voice kept calling.

"It's afraid. Terribly afraid, and powerful. It doesn't know it yet, but it will do. It's got the power of a god, and I just sent it to its room."

"Doctor!" The Doctor finally looked round to see her, frozen to the spot with tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Elora?" He asked slowly, reaching out and wiping the tears away, which didn't make her flinch. Her eyes didn't move and she stayed frozen, barely blinking as she whispered;

"The tape stopped playing a few minutes ago." She gulped as Jack, Rose and The Doctor finally noticed the crackling filling the room.

"I'm here. Can't you see me?" The voice called out.

"I sent it to it's room. THIS is its room." The Doctor realised. The four of them quickly span around to look at the tape machine to see the Child standing by it.

"Are you my mummy?" It cocked it's head to one side, looking at Rose. "Mummy?"

"Doctor?" Rose asked nervously.

"Okay... on my signal... make for the door. NOW!" Jack quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a banana, pointing it at the Child. The Doctor grinned and produced Jack's blaster, blasting a square in the wall.

"Go! Now! Don't drop the banana!" The Doctor shouted.

"Why not?!" Jack said as the four of them quickly jumped through.

"Good source of potassium!"

"Give me that!" Jack said, taking the blaster back and reversing the blast, rebuilding the wall just before the Child stepped through. "Digital rewind." Jack said, tossing the banana back to The Doctor. "Nice switch."

"It's from the Groves of Villengard. I thought it was appropriate."

"There's really a banana grove in the heart of Villengard and you did that?"

"Bananas are good." He nodded simply as suddenly, the wall cracked as the Child thumped from the other side. "Come on!" He said, pulling them off. They all ran down a short flight of stairs and down another corridor before they encountered all the patients bursting out of the ward, calling 'mummy' after them. They skidded to a stop and turned to run the other way, only to find more patients at the other end of the corridor with the Child still bashing the wall. "It's keeping us here so it can get at us."

"_No way!_" Elora said sarcastically as Jack kept turning from side to side, not being able to choose which group of gas-mask people to aim his blaster at.

"It's controlling them?" Jack asked.

"It IS them. It's every living thing in this hospital." The Doctor said.

"Okay. This can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, and a triple-enfolded sonic disrupter. Doc, what you got?" He asked, settling on one side as The Doctor took his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket.

"A sonic, er... oh, never mind."

"What?" Jack asked as The Doctor turned on the screwdriver, facing the other group of gas-mask people as Elora and Rose kept their gazes firmly on the wall as it started to crack more and more.

"It's sonic, okay? Let's leave it at that."

"Disrupter? Cannon? What?"

"It's sonic! Totally sonic! I am sonic-ed up!"

"A sonic WHAT?!"

"SCREWDRIVER!" Jack span round to look at him as the wall smashed through and the Child stepped through. Elora stepped back in fear as Rose grabbed Jack's wrist and made him point the blaster at the floor.

"Going down!" She announced, blasting a hole in the floor.

"Doctor, are you okay?" Rose asked as they got off the floor.

"Could've used a warning...!" The Doctor groaned.

"Ugh, the gratitude."

There was a scream.

Jack rolled over and jumped up and ran over to Elora, dropping down next to her, more scared than he'd ever been in his life. Her face was twisted with pain as Jack's hands hovered over her body, freaking out at the amount of rubble that had fallen onto her and ripped into her dress.

"Elora." He muttered angrily as The Doctor and Rose rushed over, pushing the rubble up as Jack put her arm around his shoulder and heaved her up.

"Jack." She gasped, looking up at the ceiling as the Child peered over. Rose quickly picked the blaster up and pointed it at the ceiling, reversing it so all the plaster reappeared.

"Who has a sonic screwdriver?" Jack asked as he took off his coat, turned it sideways and wrapped it around Elora's waist tightly as she winced in pain.

"I do!" The Doctor argued.

"Light!" Rose said, looking around the dark room.

"Are you ok?" The Doctor asked Elora. She replied with a small nod as Jack heaved her up again, trying to keep her upright.

"Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks "oohoo, this could be a little more sonic"?" Jack asked.

"What, you've never been bored?"

"There's gotta be a light switch!" Rose said, feeling along the walls.

"Never had a long night? Never had a lot of cabinets to put up?" Rose finally found a switched and flicked it. The lights flickered on and to see all the people lying in the beds as they sat up and started calling 'mummy'.

"Door." Jack said as The Doctor took Elora's other arm as Jack ran over to the door to find it locked. He snatched the blaster back from Rose and tried to blast it, but no luck. "Damn it!" He muttered, talking Elora back as The Doctor used the sonic on the door. "It's the special features, they really drain the battery."

"The battery?!" Rose scoffed as the door swung open and Jack picked up Elora and the four of them dashed through. "That's so LAME."

The Doctor slammed the door of the storage cupboard as Elora leaned against the door and slid down, wincing in pain as Jack ran over to the window.

"I was gonna send for another one, but SOMEBODY'S gonna blow up the factory." Jack argued as he turned back and glared at The Doctor.

"Oh, I know - first day I met him, he blew my job up. That's practically how he communicates."

"Okay, that door should hold it for a bit." The Doctor said, glancing at Elora sympathetically as she sat up a bit, tightening the jacket around her.

"The door?! The WALL didn't stop it!" Jack exclaimed.

"Well, it's gotta FIND us first! Come on, we're not done yet! Assets, assets!"

"Well, I've got a banana, and at a pinch you could put up some shelves."

"Window-" The Doctor said, approaching the window.

"Barred, sheer drop outside. Seven stories."

"And no other exits." Elora pointed out with a hiss.

"Well, the assets conversation went in a flash, didn't it?" Jack said, flopping himself into the chair that sat beside them.

"So, where'd you pick these two up, then?" The Doctor said, turning the window.

"Doctor..." Rose said warningly.

"She was hanging from a barrage balloon, I had an invisible spaceship. I never stood a CHANCE." Jack said.

"Okay, one, we want to get out of here. Two, we CAN'T get out of here. Have I missed anything?"

"Fucker." Elora snapped. The Doctor and Rose followed Elora's gaze to see the chair Jack was sat in, now empty. Rose smiled sympathetically at the other woman before helping her up and sitting her down in the chair.

"Okay, so he's vanished into thin air. Why is it always the GREAT looking ones who do that?" Rose groaned as The Doctor looked back at her.

"I'm making an effort not to be insulted." The Doctor said.

"I mean... men."

"Okay. Thanks. That REALLY helped." The Doctor said with a sarcastic smile as an old radio sitting across the room sprang to life.

"Elora, babe? Rose? Doctor? Can you hear me?" The Doctor rushed over and picked it up. "I'm back on my ship. Used the emergency teleport. Sorry I couldn't take you." The Doctor frowned, looking at the back of the radio the see the wires had been ripped out. "It's security-keyed to my molecular structure. I'm working on it - hang in there."

"How're you speaking to us?" The Doctor asked.

"Om-Com." Elora explained with effort. "We can call anything with a speaker grille."

"Now there's a coincidence." The Doctor scoffed.

"What is?" Jack asked.

"The Child can Om-Com too."

"It can?" Rose frowned.

"Anything with a speaker grille. Even the TARDIS phone."

"What, you mean the Child can phone us?"

"And I can hear you. Coming to find you. Coming to fiiiiind you." The Child's voice sung through.

"Doctor, can you hear that?" Jack asked.

"Loud and clear."

"Make it stop." Elora squeezed her eyes shut, wriggling with the pain as she shook her head in fear. "Please, Jack."

"I'm trying to block out the signal." Jack said with urge in his voice as Rose rushed over to Elora, squeezing her hand as she groaned in pain.

"Coming to find you, mummy!" The child taunted.

"Remember this one, Rose?" Jack asked as Glenn Miller's 'Moonlight Serenade' played through the radio. The Doctor looked over at Rose questioningly.

"Our song." She said as she let go of Elora and he nodded at her before turning the bars of the window and sonicing then. "What you doing?"

"Trying to set up a resonation pattern in the concrete. Loosen the bars." The Doctor said.

"You don't think he's coming back, do ya?"

"Wouldn't bet my life."

"Neither would I." Elora said. The Doctor stopped sonicing and turned to look at her, leaning against the wall.

"Why don't _you _trust him?" Rose asked her.

"Why do you?" She countered.

"Saved my life. Bloke-wise, that's up there with flossing." The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her. "I trust him 'cos he's like you. Except with dating and dancing." The Doctor shot her a look. "What?"

"You just assume I'm..."

"What?"

"You just assume that I don't... dance."

"You'd think the High Council of the Time Lords would make sure all young Gallifreyans could... dance." Elora smirked. The Doctor's eyes widened questioningly at her.

"So how did you meet him then?" The Doctor asked. "Mr Innuendo?"

"We had a lot in common." She shrugged. The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed. "We've both lost memories that we'd like back. Jack lost two years of his life... and I lost my childhood."

"What d'ya mean?" Rose asked.

Elora breathed in sharply, holding her side as she turned to get more comfortable. "My memories were erased, everything up to when I started at the Luna University. I can't remember my parents, where I grew up, my childhood, if I had siblings, nothing."

The Doctor frowned, "How do you sleep at night?" He asked.

"How do you?" She asked softly. The Doctor held her gaze for a second before something clicked in his mind and he turned to Rose.

"... What?" She asked as she noticed him staring at her.

"You were hanging from a barrage balloon." He said, leaning over to her and taking her hands in his, turning them over.

"Oh... yeah. About two minutes after you left me. Thousands of feet above London - middle of a German air-raid - Union Jack ALL over my chest."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I've travelled with a lot of people, but you're setting new records for jeopardy-friendly."

"Is this you dancing? 'Cos I've got notes."

"Hanging from a rope a thousand feet above London. Not a cut, not a bruise." Hd held out his own hands to compare.

"Yeah, I know. Captain Jack fixed me up..."

"Oh, we're calling him 'Captain Jack' now, are we?"

"Well, his name's Jack and he's a captain..."

"He's not really a captain, Rose." Elora chuckled.

"D'you know what I think?" Rose said, ignoring her and turning back to The Doctor. "I think you're experiencing Captain envy."

"If ever he was a captain, he's been defrocked."

"Yeah? Shame I missed that." Rose said with a smile.

"Actually, I quit. Nobody takes my frock." Jack said.

"Most people notice when they've been teleported." Elora said, removing Jack's coat and throwing it to him before spreading the ripped material slightly to look at the one slash mark across her stomach, just above her left hip, with blood trickling across the clean skin.

"You guys are so sweet. Sorry about the delay. I had to take the nav-com offline to override the teleport security." Jack said as the captain's chair span round.

"You can spend ten minutes overriding your own protocols? Maybe you should remember whose ship it is." The Doctor snorted.

"Not ours." Elora muttered, inspecting the slice on her skin.

"She was GORGEOUS." Jack agreed. "Like I told her - be back in five minutes." He grinned before ducking into the compartment under the console.

"This is a Chula ship." The Doctor said, looking around the ship.

"Yeah, just like that medical transporter. Only, this one IS dangerous." Elora smiled as she clicked her fingers next to her hip and the nanogenes appeared around her stoumach, glowing brightly. "Nanogenes are harmless though, ship's full of them."

"They're what fixed my hands up!" Rose said.

"Sub-atomic robots." The Doctor told her. "There are millions of them in here, see? Burned my hand on the console when we landed - all better now. They activate when the bulk head's sealed. Check you out for damage, fix any physical flaws."

Elora grinned and waved the nanogenes away before looking at her side. There was still a gash but not an open bleeding wound any more. "Ooh." She said with a hiss. "That's gonna take some time to heal."

"It'll scar." The Doctor said.

"I've had worse." She said softly, catching his gaze.

"Take us to the crash site. I need to see your space junk." The Doctor said to Jack, looking away.

"As soon as I get the nav-com back online." Jack grumbled. "Make yourself comfortable. Carry on with whatever it was you were..." His head popped up out of the compartment, giving Rose and The Doctor a look. "... doing."

"We were talking about dancing!"

"It didn't look like talking."

"Didn't feel like dancing." Rose said.

"You're staying here." Jack said to Elora, nodding at her injury. "Can't risk that being infected."

* * *

Elora sighed, now changed into a pair of leather pants, her black trainers, a white tank top and a cream coat with fur outlining the hood. She looked around the ship before noticing the scanner flashing.

"Computer report." She said, leaning against the captain's chair.

"Chula ambulance locked on, bomb landing in 1000 rells."

Elora's eyes widened. "The bomb! Computer, teleport me to Jack."

* * *

"The ship thinks it's under attack. It's calling up the troops. Standard protocol." The Doctor said as Elora teleported behind them.

"And the bomb's on its way." They all looked round at her as she walked up to them and stood next to The Doctor.

"I told you to stay in the ship!" Jack shouted at her.

"You never think these plans through Jack!" She snapped back at him.

"But... the gasmask people aren't troops..." Rose interupted, realising what The Doctor said.

"They are now. This is a battle-field ambulance." The Doctor said.

"The nanogenes don't just fix you up - they get you ready for the front line. Equip you, programme you." Elora agreed.

"That's why the Child's so strong. Why it could do that phoning thing." Rose said.

"It's a fully equipped Chula warrior, yes. All that weapons tech in the hands of a hysterical four year old - looking for his mummy. And now there's an army of them." The Doctor said, making Elora laugh nervously at the absurbity of it.

"Why don't they attack?" Jack asked as the gas-mask people stopped around the edge of the fence.

"Good little soldiers. Waiting for their commander."

"The child?"

"Jamie." Elora looked over to the young girl she'd not noticed before, Nancy.

"What?"

"Not 'the child'. Jamie." She snapped.

"So, how long until the bomb falls?" Rose asked.

"About 900 rells." Elora said nervously.

"What's the matter, Captain? Bit close to the volcano for you?" The Doctor asked.

"He's just a little boy." Nancy said, shaking her head.

"I know."

"He's just a little boy who wants his mummy."

"I know. There isn't a little boy born who wouldn't tear the world apart to save his mummy. And this little boy can."

"So what're we gonna DO?" Rose asked.

"I don't know."

"It's my fault." Nancy said, starting to cry. "It is. It's all my fault."

"How can it be your-" Elora asked as The Doctor looked around at all the gas mask people. The two of them shared a look, understanding. "What age are you?" She asked gently. "Twenty? Twenty-one? Older than you look, yes?"

"Doctor - that bomb. We've got seconds." Jack said.

"You can teleport us out." Rose said to Jack.

"Not you guys. The nav-com's back online. Gonna take too long to override the protocols." Jack said.

"It's volcano day. Do what you've got to do." Elora said as she and The Doctor watched Nancy.

"I'm sorry, Elora." He said before looking at Rose apologetically before teleporting off.

"How old were you five years ago? Fifteen? Sixteen? Old enough to give birth, anyway." The Doctor said. "He's not your brother, is he?" Nancy shook her head, sobbing.

"A teenage single mother in 1941. So you hid. You lied." Elora whispered. "You even lied to him." Suddenly, Elora screamed out and disappeared out of thin air. The Doctor stared at the blank space in despair before spinning round as the gates swung open and Jamie walked forward.

* * *

"ELORA!" Elora opened her eyes slowly to feel herself laying on grating. She looked up to see Rose sprinting to her and pulling her up into a hug. The Doctor approached her slowly with a look of shock before smiling at The TARDIS console softly. "Doctor?"

The Doctor just casually walked round to the scanner, pulling it around to him before smiling at his companion. "All thanks to the Old Girl." He said, patting the time rotor. "Guess someone likes you." He said, smiling at Elora.

"Nice TARDIS you've got here." Elora laughed, looking around the console room. "Wait," She gasped, spinning round to look at him. "Jack." The Doctor turned a switch on the console as music started to play. "Well get the doors!" He called over his shoulder. Elora sprinted towards the doors to find herself in the ship she shared with Jack on the other side, and grinned as the captain's chair span around and Jack stared at her stunned.

"Jack." She gasped as he jumped up and walked up to her, spinning her around in a hug. She quickly yanked him in and shut The TARDIS doors. "Well there was gonna be a bit of a draft." She said, laughing at his questioning look. "I assume you had the bomb?" He nodded. "Idiot."

"Welcome to the TARDIS." The Doctor said as Rose leaned against one of the pillars.

"Much bigger on the inside..." Jack said, nodding at the room.

"I've just remembered!" The Doctor gasped, taking Elora's hand and spinning her around which she responded with a yelp. "I can dance!"


	3. Boom Town

"Have you been in the TARDIS wardrobe?" The Doctor frowned as he stood up a ladder, fixing one of the coral lights on the wall with a headlight on. Elora trotted into the console room wearing a tweed jacket, a peach blouse that was ruffled into a bow across the chest and neck, a pair of tweed high-waisted shorts and black heels to go along with it.

"Yes?" Elora said in confusion as she leaned against the console next to Rose and Jack. "All of my other clothes got blown up if you remember?"

"Stop moaning." Jack said when there was a sudden hollow knock on the TARDIS doors. Before anyone had a chance to say anything, Jack bounded over and threw open the door, leaning against the other one. "Who the hell are you?" He asked without hesitation.

"What d'you mean, who the hell am I? Who the hell are you?" Mickey Smith snapped back rudely.

"Captain Jack Harkness. Whatever your selling, we're not buying."

"Get out of my way!" Mickey moaned, barging past Jack and into The TARDIS.

"Don't tell me, this must be Mickey." Jack said as he shut the door.

"Here comes trouble!" The Doctor cheered. "How're you doing, Ricky boy?"

"It's Mickey!" Mickey snapped back.

"Don't listen to him, he's winding you up." Rose laughed as Mickey approached her.

"You look fantastic." He grinned as they hugged.

"Aww, sweet, look at these two. How come I never get any of that?" Jack asked The Doctor.

"Buy me a drink first." The Doctor said sarcastically.

"You're such hard work."

"But worth it." He grinned.

"Did you manage to find it?" Rose asked Mickey.

"There you go." Mickey said, producing Rose's passport from his pocket and handing it over to her.

"I can go anywhere now!" Rose grinned, waving her passport at The Doctor.

"I told you - you don't NEED a passport!" The Doctor said.

"It's all very well going to platform one and Justicia and the Glass Pyramid of San Kloon but what if we end up in Brazil? I might need it. You see, I'm prepared for anything."

"Sounds like your staying, then." Mickey said with a sad smile as an awkward silence filled the room. "So, what're you doing in Cardiff? And who the hell's Jumping Jack Flash? I mean, I don't mind you hanging out with big-ears up there-"

"Oi!" The Doctor moaned.

"Look in the mirror." He looked back at Jack. "But this guy, I dunno, he's kinda..."

"Handsome?" Jack asked.

"More like cheesy."

"Early 21st Century slang - Is cheesy good or bad?" Jack asked Elora.

"It's bad." She confirmed.

"But bad means good, isn't that right?"

"Are you saying I'm not handsome?" The Doctor said as he climbed down the ladder.

"And who's this?" Mickey asked, nodding at Elora.

"Doctor Elora Johannson." Elora smiled at him.

"_Nearly _a Doctor." Jack said.

"A doctor in what?" The Doctor asked, standing next to her.

"Archaeology." Elora shrugged.

"Archaeologists." The Doctor grumbled.

"We just stopped off." Rose said, changing the subject back. "We need to refuel. Thing is, Cardiff's got this rift running through the middle of the city. It's invisible, but it's like an earthquake fault between different dimensions-"

"The rift was healed back in 1869-" The Doctor interrupted.

"Thanks to a girl named Gwyneth, 'cos these creatures called the Gelth, they were using the rift as a gateway but she saved the world and closed it."

"But closing a rift always leaves a scar." Jack said.

"And that scar generates energy, harmless to the Human Race-" Elora added in.

"But perfect for the TARDIS, so just park it here for a couple of days right on top of the scar and-" The Doctor said.

"Open up the engines," Jack explained.

"Soak up the radiation-" Elora said.

"Like filling her up with petrol and off we go!" Rose grinned.

"Into time!" Jack said, high fiving Rose.

"And space!" He, Rose, The Doctor and Elora said in unison, high fiving each other.

"My God, have you seen yourselves?" Mickey said in disbelief. "You all think you're so clever, don't you?"

"Yeah!" The Doctor grinned.

"Yeah!" Rose agreed.

"Yep!" Jack smirked, giving Mickey a friendly slap on the cheek.

* * *

"Should take another twenty-four hours, which means we've got time to kill." The Doctor said as the five of them bundled out of The TARDIS to outside of the Millenium of Roald Dahl plaza, by the bay.

"That old lady's staring." Mickey said, frowning off in the distance.

"Probably wondering what five people could do inside a small wooden box..." Jack laughed, making The Doctor, Rose and Elora snigger.

"What are you captain of? The Innuendo Squad?" Jack just rolled his eyes at him, making a W with his hands. "Wait! Er, the TARDIS - we can't just leave it. Doesn't it get noticed?"

"Yeah, what's with the police box? Why does it look like that?" Jack asked.

"It's a cloaking device." Rose said.

"It's called a chameleon circuit. The TARDIS is meant to disguise itself wherever it lands, like if this was Ancient Rome, it'd be a statue on a plinth or something. But I landed in the 1960s, it disguised itself as a police box, and the circuit got stuck." The Doctor explained.

"So it copied a real thing? There actually was police boxes?" Mickey asked.

"Yeah, on street corners. Phone for help before they had radios and mobiles. If they arrested someone, they could shove them inside until help came. Like a little prison cell."

"Why don't you just fix the circuit?" Elora asked.

"I like it! Don't you?"

"I LOVE it." Rose said, patting The TARDIS.

"But that's what I meant! There's no police boxes anymore, so doesn't it get noticed?" Mickey asked.

"Ricky, let me tell you something about the Human Race. You put a mysterious blue box slap bang in the middle of town and what do they do?"

"Walk past it." Elora said. The Doctor nodded at her before turning back to Mickey.

"Now stop your nagging, let's go and explore!" He said as Elora linked her arm with his.

"What's the plan?" Rose asked, standing on the other side of the Doctor as they walked off.

"I don't know! Cardiff. Early 21st Century. And the wind's coming from the... East. Trust me - safest place in the universe."

* * *

"I swear, six feet tall and with TUSKS-" Jack said as the five of them sat in a Cardiff restaurant. The Doctor sat next to Mickey one side with Rose and Jack opposite them and Elora sat on the end.

"You're lying through your teeth!" The Doctor accused.

"I'd've gone bonkers! That's the word - bonkers!" Rose exclaimed.

"I mean, it turns out the white things are tusks and I mean TUSKS!" Elora explained with emphasis. "And it's woken, and it's not happy-"

"How could you not know it was there?" The Doctor asked.

"And we're standing there, me and Elora, fifteen of us, NAKED-"

"Naked?!" Rose gasped.

"And we're like," He nodded at Elora. "Oh, no, no, it's got nothing to do with us! And then it roars, and we are running."

"Oh my God, we are RUNNING!" Elora laughed.

"And Brakovitch falls, so I turn to him and I say-"

"I knew we should've turned left!" Mickey guessed before they all scream out laughing.

"That's my line!"

"I don't BELIEVE you, I don't believe a word you say EVER, that is so brilliant!" Rose giggled as The Doctor slowly stood up and walked off. "Did you ever get your clothes back?"

"No, I just picked him up went right for the ship, full throttle, didn't stop until we hit the spacelanes, I was shaking! It was unbelievable, I'm freaking out and by the time I got there I was fifteen light-years away I was like this!" Elora giggled, remembering that day with Jack.

"And I was having such a nice day." The Doctor said. The others looked up at him to see him holding a newspaper with headline - New Mayor, New Cardiff - complete with a picture of the new Mayor holding a hand over the camera.

* * *

"I want you to go back to The TARDIS." The Doctor said to Elora as the five of them strode out of the restaurant.

"Why?" She asked.

"May need back up." She nodded at him and took her key out of her pocket, sprinting back to The TARDIS.

She bolted up to the door, unlocking it and slamming the door behind her before running up to the console and pulling the scanner round before pulling a few controls as she hacked into the local CCTV. The picture fixed and she laughed slightly as she watched Margaret climb out of the window and along the scaffolding before The Doctor burst out after her.

"Slitheen heading North." The Doctor said into his mobile before stuffing it into his pocket as Margaret's assistant tried to grab him away as Margaret climbed down a ladder.

"Leave the Mayor alone!" The assistant demanded as The Doctor pushed him off and chased Margaret, climbing down the ladder. Elora groaned as she watched Rose and Jack burst out of their exits, just missing Margaret as she pulled of her brooch and earrings.

"Who was on Exit Four?!" Jack exclaimed as Margaret ran towards the last exit.

"That was Mickey!" Rose said.

"Here I am!" Mickey ran out as Margaret ran past, gasping for breath.

"Mickey the idiot." The Doctor said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, be fair - she's not exactly gonna outrun us, is she?" Rose said, watching Margaret run away before suddenly she disappeared in a light of blue.

"She's got a teleport! That's cheating!" Jack exclaimed. "Now we're NEVER gonna get her!"

"Oh, the Doctor's very good with teleports." Rose said as The Doctor took his sonic out of his pocket, sonicing into the air with a dopey grin as Margaret reappeared, running towards them. She stopped with a halt as she noticed them before turning and running away, teleporting off only for The Doctor to bring her back. This went on a few times before she stopped with a gasp in front of them, giving up.

"I could do this all day." The Doctor said with a grin.

"This is persecution." Margaret said, holding her hands up in defeat. "Why can't you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?"

"You tried to kill me and destroy this entire planet."

"Apart from that."

The Doctor just shook his head before turning and looking directly up into the CCTV camera with a smile. Elora shook her head and grinned, running around the console and piloting it.

"How does she know how to fly The TARDIS?" Rose asked as they guided Margaret back into the building.

"51st century." Jack shrugged. "We know the basics of that kind of flying technology."

* * *

"So, you're a Slitheen, you're on Earth, you're trapped." Elora said, leaning against the table in the exhibition room as the six of them looked at a model of a power station.

"Your family gets killed but you teleport out, just in the nick of time." The Doctor continued. "You have no means of escape. What do you do? You build a nuclear power station." He said, gesturing at the model in the middle of the room. "But what for?"

"A philanthropic gesture. I've learnt the error of my ways." Margaret said.

"And it just so happens to be right on top of the rift."

"What rift would that be?"

"A rift in space and time. If this power station went into meltdown, the entire planet would go schwwwupboom!" Jack said, imitating the explosion.

"This station is designed to explode the minute it reaches capacity." Elora said darkly, looking up at Margaret.

"Didn't anyone notice? Isn't there someone in London CHECKING this sort of stuff?" Rose asked.

"We're in CARDIFF." Margaret scoffed. "London doesn't care! The South Wales coast could fall into the sea and they wouldn't notice- oh... I sound like a Welshman. God help me, I've gone native."

"But why would she DO that? A great big explosion - she'd only end up killing herself." Mickey said.

"She's got a name, you know."

"She's not even a she, she's a... thing."

"Oh, but she's clever..." The Doctor said. In one swift movement, The Doctor pushed off the model prised the middle section of the base and flipped it over to reveal a giant circuit board underneath. "Fantastic."

"Is that a tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator?!" Jack and Elora asked excitedly in unison.

"Couldn't have put it better myself." The Doctor said with a grin.

"Ooh, GENIUS!" Jack said, taking it from The Doctor as Elora perched over his shoulder, gazing at it.

"It's beautiful." She gasped.

"Fallen in love with a piece of mechanics, Miss Johannson?" The Doctor asked teasingly. Elora looked up at him with a grin, it sounded like he was _flirting_ with her.

"Don't fall love, me." She grinned as she looked back at the board as The Doctor's attention was caught by the poster on the wall, advertising the project. "You didn't build this." She said, shaking her head.

"I have my hobbies. A little tinkering..." Margaret shrugged.

"No, no, no, I mean, you REALLY didn't build this. Way beyond you."

"I bet she stole it." Mickey said.

"It fell into my hands." Margaret said.

"Is it a weapon?" Rose asked as Jack put the board down on the floor.

"It's transport." Jack said. "You see - the reactor blows, the rift opens, phenomenal cosmic disaster, but THIS thing shrouds you in a forcefield, you have this energy bubble, zzhum, so you're safe." He said, imitating the bubble. "Then you feed it coordinates, stand on top, and ride the concussion all the way out of the solar system."

"It's a surfboard!" Mickey said.

"A pan-dimensional surfboard, yeah." Elora nodded.

"And it would've worked." Margaret said bitterly. "I would've surfed away from this dead-end dump and back to civilisation."

"You'd blow up a whole planet just to get a lift?" Mickey asked in shock.

"Like stepping on an anthill."

"How'd you think of the name?" The Doctor asked, staring up at the poster.

"What, Blaidd Drwg? It's Welsh."

"I know, but how did you think of it?"

"Chose it at random, that's all I dunno. Just sounded good. Does it matter?"

"Blaidd Drwg." The Doctor said, turning around.

"What's it mean?" Rose asked.

"Bad Wolf."

"But I've heard that before, Bad Wolf. I've heard that lots of times..." Rose said, sounding haunted.

"Everywhere we go. Two words. Following us. Bad Wolf."

"How can they be following us?" The Doctor stared into space for a few seconds before catching Elora's concerned expression before shaking his head with a grin. "Nah! Just a coincidence! Like hearing a word on the radio then hearing it all day. Never mind! Things to do." He clapped his hands briskly, turning to Margaret. "Margaret, we're gonna take you home."

"Hold on, isn't that the easy option, like letting her go?" Jack asked.

"I don't believe it!" Rose said gleefully. "We actually get to go to Raxa... Wait a minute! Raxacor..."

"Raxacoricofallapatorius." Elora told her, laughing.

"Raxacorico..."

"... fallapatorius." The Doctor finished.

"Raxacoricofallapatorius!"

"That's it!" He grinned, hugging her.

"I did it!"

"They have the death penalty." Margaret said darkly. The Doctor let go of Rose and his smile fell as he looked over at Margaret. "The family Slitheen was tried in its absence many years ago and found guilty. With no chance of appeal. According to the statutes of government, the moment I return, I am to be executed. What do you make of that, Doctor?" The Doctor held his cold stare. "Take me home and you take me to my death."

"Not my problem." The Doctor said calmly.

* * *

"This ship is IMPOSSIBLE!" Margaret gasped, looking around the console room of The TARDIS. "It's SUPERB. How do you get the outside around the inside?"

"Like I'd give YOU the secret, yeah." The Doctor scoffed, leaning against one of the pillars.

"I almost feel better about being defeated. We never stood a chance. This is the technology of the Gods."

"Don't worship me - I'd make a very bad God. You wouldn't get a day off, for starters..." He looked down at the floor where Jack sat, wiring the exptrapolator to the console. "Jack, how we doing, big fella?"

"This extrapolator's top of the range." Jack said in delight, peering round at Margaret. "Where did you get it?"

"Oh, I don't know... some airlock sale...?" She shrugged.

"Must've been a great big heist. It's stacked with power." Elora agreed, appearing behind Jack, watching him work.

"But we can use it for fuel?" The Doctor asked.

Elora shook her head, "It's not compatible... but it should knock off about twelve hours. We'll be ready to go by morning."

"Then we're stuck here. Overnight."

"I'M in no hurry..." Margaret pointed out.

"We've got a prisoner!" Rose realised as she and Mickey stood on the other side of the console. "The police box is really... a police box."

"You're not just police, though. Since you're taking me to my death, that makes you my executioners. Each and every one of you..."

"Well, you deserve it." Mickey said coldly.

"You're very quick to say so. You're very quick to soak your hands in my blood. Which makes you better than me, how, exactly...?" Mickey just looked away in shame. "Long night ahead..." She said as she slowly walked round the console and sat on the jump seat. "Let's see who can look me in the eye." She looked at The Doctor, Jack, Rose and Mickey each before they all looked away eventually before her gaze landed on Elora. Elora smirked at her, making Margaret stare at her, a little confused.

* * *

"I gather it's not always like this... having to wait." Margaret said, leaning against the console, just after Rose and Mickey had left. "I bet you're always the first to leave, Doctor. Never mind the consequences, off you go. You butchered my family and then ran for the stars, am I right? But not this time. At last, you have consequences... how does it feel?"

"I didn't butcher them." The Doctor replied darkly.

"Don't answer back. That's what she wants." Jack told him.

"I didn't!" The Doctor argued, turning to Margaret. "What about you? You had an emergency teleport, you didn't zap them to safety, did you?"

"It only carries one. I had to fly without coordinates. I ended up on a skip in the Isle of Dogs." The Doctor, Jack and Elora sniggered slightly, trying to keep a straight face. "It wasn't funny!"

"Sorry." Elora said sheepishly.

"It is a BIT funny!" The Doctor said as they started laughing. Margaret watched them before laughing as well. As the laughter died down, she asked: "Do I get a last request?"

"Depends what it is." The Doctor asked.

"I grew quite fond of my little human life. All those rituals... the brushing of the teeth, and the complicated way they cook things... there's a little restaurant. Just round the bay. It became quite a favourite of mine."

The Doctor walked round towards her and leaned over the railings to talk to her. "Is that what you want? A last meal?"

"Don't I have rights?"

"Oh, like she's not gonna try to escape." Elora scoffed.

"Except I can never escape the Doctor, so where's the danger?" She said, bitterly. "But I wonder if you could do it? To sit with a creature you're about to kill and take supper. How strong is your stomach?"

"Strong enough." The Doctor replied quickly.

"I wonder. I've seen you fight your enemies... now dine with them."

"You won't change my mind."

"Prove it."

"There are people out there. If you slip away just for one second, they'll be in danger." The Doctor said, walking away.

"Except... I've got these." Jack said, holding up a pair of metal hoops. "You both wear one. If she moves... more than ten feet away..." He made a buzzing noise, making Margaret jump in alarm. "She gets zapped by ten thousand volts."

"Margaret, would you like to come out to dinner? My treat?" The Doctor asked.

"Dinner in bondage... works for me."

"Better go change my jumper." The Doctor said, giving Jack a look. Jack got up and followed The Doctor out of the console room, leaving Margaret and Elora alone.

"You can bottle my stare." Margaret said, looking Elora straight in the eyes.

"Yes." She replied sharply.

"You've obviously done something so bad you before you can deal with it."

"Not yet, soon though." Elora said, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Believe me," She spat. "I'll be just as crooked as you. Just as corrupt. I don't want to sell the last Time Lord, but I don't have any other choice."

Margaret nodded at her, impressed. "It's a way to make a living."

"It'll haunt me for the rest of my life, but you know it's every man for himself in the universe."

"You've got guts."

"Yeah."

* * *

"It's working." Elora grinned as Jack ducked back out from under the console as the extrapolator, connected to the console, flashed. Jack stood up and squeezed Elora's hand.

"I told you I'd find you a life." He said softly.

Elora stared back at him, a little taken back. "It's still not what I lost. What you lost. It's not my childhood, and it's not that those two years you can't remember."

"No," Jack nodded. "But it'll do." Suddenly, the console started to spark, sending them both flying. They both jumped up as Elora pulled at the controls as Jack started pulling wires out of the extrapolator as it flashed madly. Elora quickly yanked round the scanner, staring at it in fear.

"It's the rift. The rift's opening!" She shouted as the doors suddenly swung open and The Doctor bolted in, pulling Margaret with him, he slammed the door as he watched the whole console room go mad.

"What the hell are you doing?" The Doctor shouted.

"It just went crazy!" Jack panicked.

"It's the rift!" The Doctor said, running up to the console and helping Elora as they dodged the explosions coming from the console. "Time and space are ripping apart. The whole city's gonna disappear!"

"It's the extrapolator! I've disconnected it but it's still feeding off the engine! It's USING the TARDIS - I can't stop it!"

"Never mind Cardiff - it's gonna rip open the planet!" Elora exclaimed as Rose burst into The TARDIS.

"What is it? What's happening?!" Rose screeched as she ran up to the console, next to Margaret.

"Oh, just little ME!" Margaret said gleefully as one of her arms freed itself from the skin suit, revealing the Slitheen claw, grabbing Rose round the neck. The Doctor bolted forward- "One wrong move and she snaps like a promise." She threatened.

"I might've known." The Doctor said bitterly.

"I've had you bleating all night, poor baby, now shut it." She snapped before looking at Jack. "You - fly boy - put the extrapolator at my feet." Jack hesitated, looking at the Doctor who nodded at him Jack quickly grabbed it, putting it at her feet before jumping up and putting a protective arm in front of Elora. "Thank you. Just as I planned."

"I thought you needed to blow up the nuclear power station." Rose gargled through the strangling.

"Failing that - if I were to be... arrested... then anyone capable of tracking me down would have considerable technology of their own. Therefore, they would be captivated by the extrapolator. Especially a magpie mind like yours, Doctor. So the extrapolator was programmed to go to Plan B!" She practically giggled, pulling Rose's hair roughly. "To lock onto the nearest alien power source and open the rift." She looked up around the TARDIS with awe. "And what a power source it found... I'm back on schedule... thanks to you."

"The rift's gonna convulse - she'll destroy the whole planet." Jack said bitterly.

"And you with it!" She roughly pushed Rose away but kept her hold so she could step on the extrapolator. "While I ride this board over the crest of the inferno all the way to freedom. Stand back boys... surf's up." She grinned when suddenly, a panel of the console flew open, a blinding white light flooding out. Margaret looked at it in surprise before looking up at The Doctor.

"Of course, opening the rift means you'll pull this ship apart." The Doctor said.

"So sue me."

"It's not just any old power source. It's the TARDIS. My TARDIS. The best ship in the universe."

"It'll make wonderful scrap."

"What's that light?" Rose said, her eyes squinting.

"The heart of the TARDIS. This ship's alive. You've opened its soul." He told Margaret as she stared into the light.

"It's ... so bright..." She said softly.

"Look at it, Margaret..."

"... Beautiful..."

"Look inside, Blon Fel Fotch. Look at the light." Her grip on Rose relaxed and Jack quickly pulled her out of the way as Margaret kept staring into the light, smiling before looking up at The Doctor.

"Thank you ..." She was engulfed by the light and as it cleared, the suit skin flopped to the ground. The Doctor bolted round the console.

"Don't look - stay there - close your eyes!" The Doctor said, pulling the controls before the piece of console snapped shut, the white light dying away. "Now, Jack, Elora come on - shut it all down. Shut down!" They both rushed round the console, pulling the controls as the console sparked. "Rose, that panel over there - turn all the switches to the right." He pointed at the console as they all ran round. Elora pulled the scanner round, smiling as she watched the sky go back to normal from outside. "Nicely done. Thank you, all."

"What happened to Margaret?" Rose asked.

"Must've got burnt up. Carried out her own death sentence." Jack said.

"No. I don't think she's dead." The Doctor said, looking at the skin suit.

"Then, where'd she go?" Rose frowned.

"She looked into the heart of the TARDIS, and even I don't know how strong that is. And the ship's telepathic - like I told you, Rose. Gets inside your head. Translates alien languages. Maybe the raw energy can translate all sorts of thoughts..." They all kneeled down around the skin suit as The Doctor reached inside and pulled out a brown egg. "Here she is!"

"She's an egg?"

"Regressed to her childhood."

"She's an egg?" Jack asked.

"She can start again! Live her life from scratch. If we take her home, give her to a different family, tell 'em to bring her up properly, she might be all right!"

"Or she might be worse."

"That's her choice."

"She's an egg." Rose said.

"She's an egg."

"Oh, my God. Mickey-" She jumped up and dashed out of The TARDIS.

"You gave her another chance." Elora whispered as Jack got up and walked back over to the console. "Thank you." She smiled softly at him, placing a kiss on his cheek.

* * *

Rose shut the TARDIS door behind her, sighing as she walked up to the console. "We're all powered up. We can leave. Opening the rift filled us up with energy - we can go. If that's all right..."

"Yeah, fine." She said sadly.

"How's Mickey?" Elora asked.

"He's okay. He's gone."

"D'you wanna go and find him? We'll wait..." The Doctor said as he, Elora and Jack shared a nod.

"No need. He deserves better."

"Off we go, then. Always moving on..." He yanked at a lever.

"Next stop, Raxacoricofallapatorius. Now, you don't often get to say that." Jack smirked, looking at the egg balanced on the console.

"We'll just stop by and pop her in the hatchery. Margaret the Slitheen can live her life again! A second chance."

"That'd be nice ..." Elora whispered to herself.

**A/N - I hope this was ok, I really like this episode. I wrote a bit there to do with Elora's plan, which she is starting to feel guilty about which will be shown more in the next chapter. Outfit links for this chapter and the last two are in my profile. Please review! :)**


	4. Bad Wolf

**Link to outfit in my profile. :)**

"What is it? What's happening?" Elora felt her arm being yanked up and her hand being grabbed as The Doctor patted against the tiny white walls as the room span. Elora, wearing a long-sleeved blue and white striped top, a tan jacket and jeans, kicked one of the walls to find it was a door. It flung open and both she and The Doctor fell through, face first onto the floor into a brightly coloured room.

"Oh my God!" A blonde woman of about 30 gasped as she hurried over the two of them. "I don't BELIEVE it! Why'd they put you in there? They never said you were coming!"

The Doctor tried to pull himself up, very disoriented as Elora groaned loudly, holding a hand to her head.

"But what happened? I was..." The Doctor mumbled as Lynda helped him to his feet as Elora rolled over, staring up at the ceiling.

"Careful now... oh!" The Doctor's legs gave way and he dropped to the floor. "Oh! Mind yourself! Oh, that's the transmat. Scrambles your head - I was sick for days." She said sympathetically, helping him up again. "You all right?" She asked as he managed to stabilise himself. "So! What's your name then, sweetheart?"

"The Doctor, I think. I was er... I don't know, what happened? How-"

"You got chosen." Lynda grinned.

"Elora!" The Doctor looked round in shock before noticing her, lying on the floor. He quickly leant down and helped her out as she shook her head briskly and smiled nervously at Lynda, gathering her senses. "Are you ok?" He asked, holding her face in his, looking into her eyes.

"Fine." She nodded as he put his arm around her waist, looking back at Lynda.

"Hang on, chosen for what?"

"You're a house mate. You're in the house! Isn't that brilliant?!" Lynda said, laughing.

"That's not fair." A male voice came from the couch, Strood, from across the room that sat in front of a TV with an eye logo presented on it. "We've got eviction in five minutes! I've been here for all nine weeks, I've followed the rules, I haven't had a single warning, and then they come swanning in." He gestured at The Doctor and Elora, annoyed.

"If they keep changing the rules, I'm gonna protest, I am. You just watch me, I'm - I'm gonna paint the walls." The woman sitting next to him said, Crosbie. The Doctor looked around the house with an open mouth, frowning.

"Hang on, is this-" Elora began before she was cut off by the music from Big Brother.

"Would the Doctor and Elora please come to the Diary Room?" Big Brother's voice ran over. They both looked up to the ceiling, noticing the camera staring straight at them buzzing. Elora looked over at the silver door next to them, took The Doctor's hand and pulled open the door, pulling him in. They approached the big red chair and The Doctor plonked himself down, staring at the camera in disbelief as Elora stood next to him. "You are live on channel forty-four-thousand. Please do not swear."

"You have GOT to be kidding." The Doctor said, raising an eyebrow.

* * *

The Doctor turned back from the door, looking back to Lynda who was watching him carefully. "I can't open it."

"It's got a deadlock seal." Lynda said. "Ever since Big Brother Five Hundred and Four when they all walked out...?" The Doctor just blinked at her and walked over to Elora in the middle of the room as she looked around for any other exits. "You MUST remember that." She said, following them both over to a big mirror on the wall.

"What about this?" The Doctor asked, nodding at it.

"Oh, that's exoglass. You'd need a nuclear bomb to get through."

"Don't tempt him." Elora muttered as The Doctor soniced the edges of the mirror. Lynda leant against the wall next to him, opening and closing her mouth a few times.

"I know you're not supposed to talk about the outside world, but you must've been watching." She said quickly. "Do people like me? Lynda with a Y, not Linda with an I - she got forcibly evicted because she damaged the camera." The Doctor nodded at her, not really listening. "Am I popular?"

"I don't remember." The Doctor shrugged.

"Oh, but does that mean I'm nothing?" She asked quickly. "Some people get this far just 'cos they're insignificant. Doesn't anybody notice me?"

"No... you're... you're nice." Elora smiled at her, sympathising. "You're sweet. Everybody thinks you're sweet."

"Oh! Is that right? Is that what I am? Oh, no-one's ever told me that before. Am I sweet? Really?"

"Yeah. Dead sweet!"

"Thank you!" She grinned. Elora looked her way, her face dropping. Since when was she nice to strangers, she'd used to be like that, a long time ago, before she met Jack. And she found out, travelling with him, caring was not an advantage, caring hurt.

"It's just a wall - isn't there supposed to be a garden out there?" The Doctor said, nodding over at the black windows as they walked over.

"Don't be daft. No-one's got a garden anymore. Who's got a garden?" She gasped suddenly. "Don't tell me YOU'VE got a garden!"

"No, I've just got the TARDIS..." The Doctor said before suddenly spinning around to look at her. "I remember."

"That's the amnesia! So what happened? Where did they get you?"

"We'd just left Raxacoriofallapatorius."

"Then we went to Kyoto, that's right." Elora agreed, starting to remember. "Japan in 1336, and we only just escaped..."

"We were together, we were laughing, and then... there was this light..."

"... this white light coming through the walls, and then..."

"And then we woke up here."

"Yeah, that's the transmat beam. That's how they pick the housemates." Lynda said.

"Oh, Lynda with a Y... sweet little Lynda..." The Doctor said, beginning to pace the room. "It's worse than that. We're not just passing travellers. No stupid little transmat gets inside my ship. That beam was fifteen million times more powerful, which means... this isn't just a game. There's something else going on." He stepped up to the camera, looking down it as he grabbed Elora's hand. "Well! Here's the latest update from the Big Brother house. We're getting out. We're gonna find my friends. And then I'm gonna find YOU." He snarled, pointing at the camera.

* * *

"Doctor, Elora, they said ALL the housemates must gather on the sofa. You've got to." Lynda called over as she, Elora, Strood and Crosbie sat at the sofa.

"Busy getting out, thanks." The Doctor said, sonicing one of the doors.

"But if you don't obey, then ALL the housemates get punished." The Doctor sighed, stuffing the sonic back in his pocket and flopping down on the sofa next to Elora.

"Well maybe I'll be voted out, then." He muttered.

"How stupid are you? You've only just joined, you're not eligible." Strood scoffed.

"Don't try anything clever or we all get it in the neck." Lynda warned.

"Big Brother House - this is Davina Droid." The voice echoed through the house as Lynda, Strood and Crosbie grabbed each others hands. Crosbie leaned over and grabbed Elora, making The Doctor roll his eyes. Elora smirked his hand and sarcastically grabbed his hand as if she was scared. "Crobsie, Lynda and Strood - you have all been nominated for eviction. And the eighth person to be evicted from the Big Brother House is..." There was a long tense pause and The Doctor rolled his eyes, making Elora grin at him even more. "... Crosbie!" Crosbie gasped and the three housmates jumped up, all over each other.

"I'm sorry! Oh, I'm sorry! Sorry!" Lynda gasped.

"Oh, it should've been me, that's not fair... oh, Crosbie love..." Strood said, putting his arm around her as The Doctor leaned back into his chair whilst Elora watched the eviction innocently.

"Crosbie, you have ten seconds to make your farewells, and then we're gonna get you!" Big Brother said as Crosbie, Lynda and Strood rushed to the door.

"I won't forget you." Lynda said.

"I'm sorry I stole your soap." Crosbie apologized.

"Oh, I don't mind, honestly." She said, hugging her.

"Thanks for the food, you're a smashing cook." Strood said, kissing her on the cheek. "Bless you." The doors slid open to reveal a small white room.

"Bye, then... bye Lynda..." Crosbie said nervously. Lynda and Strood shared a look and made an archway above the door.

"Bye..." Lynda whispered as Crosbie walked underneath them, into the room as the door slid close. "I don't believe it. Poor Crosbie..."

"It's only a game show, she'll make a fortune on the outside!" The Doctor looked over from the sofa at them. "Sell her story, release a record, fitness video, all of that... she'll be laughing!"

"What d'you mean, 'on the outside'?"

"Here we go..." Strood said. They both rushed over to the sofa as the telly flashed on, showing Crosbie staring nervously at the camera.

"Well, what are they waiting for? Why don't they just let her go?" The Doctor asked.

"Stop it, it's not funny." Lynda snapped tearfully as they turned back to the TV.

"Eviction in... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1!" A bolt of light surged through the room and disintegrated Crosbie. The Doctor and Elora stared at the telly in shock, The Doctor in confusion and Elora in realization, finally figuring out where she was.

"Oh my god we're on Game Station!" Elora gasped loudly as Lynda and Strood nodded back at her.

"What was that?" The Doctor asked.

"Disintegrator beam." Elora whispered as The Doctor looked at Strood and Lynda.

"She's been evicted." Lynda said as if it was obvious. "From life."

The Doctor stood up slowly before starting to angrily pace the room. "Are you INSANE? You just step right into the disintegrator? Is it that important, getting your face on the telly? Is it worth DYING for?" He shouted.

"You're talking like we've got a choice!" Lynda said desperately, standing up.

"But I thought you had to apply!"

"Don't be so stupid. That's how they played it centuries back." Strood huffed.

"You get chosen whether you like it or not! Everyone on Earth is a potential contestant. The transmat beam picks you out at random. And it's non-stop. There are sixty Big Brother houses running all at once."

"How many? SIXTY?" The Doctor shouted as Elora got up, holding onto his arms to calm him down whilst looking back at Lynda.

"They've had to cut back. It's not what it was." Strood said dejectedly.

"It's a CHARNEL house! What about the winners? What to they get?"

"They get to live." Lynda said.

"Is that it?!"

"Well, isn't that enough?!"

"We're on Game Station." Elora said blankly to The Doctor. "We have to get out."

"Jack and Rose." The Doctor said quickly before they both bolted off across the room. "They're out there. They got caught in the transmat. They're contestants. Time we got out." He turned to Elora. "What can you get evicted for?"

"Damaged property, mainly." She said.

"What, like this?" He asked with a wink, taking out his screwdriver and sonicing it at the camera, making it spark.

"The Doctor - you've broken the House Rules." Big Brother's voice called over the speakers. "Big Brother has no choice but to evict you." The Doctor grinned back at Elora in triumph, taking her hand and squeezing it. "You have ten seconds to make your farewells, and then we're gonna get you!"

"Come on then, open up!" He shouted, banging on the door.

"You're mad! It's like you WANT to die!" Lynda gasped.

"I reckon he's a plant! He was only brought in to stir things up!" Strood said bitterly as the door slid open. The Doctor yanked Elora in with a grin and started up at the camera, smiling like an idiot.

"Come on then, disintegrate us! Come on, what're you waiting for?" He asked impatiently, looking up at the disintegrator. "Disintegrate us!"

"Eviction in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..." There was silence.

"Haha! I knew it! You see? Someone BROUGHT us into this game. If they'd wanted us dead, they could've transmatted me into a volcano." He grinned at Elora who smiled nervously back. "They want us alive-"

Elora turned to the door behind her. "Maybe the security isn't as tight this end." She muttered.

"Are you following this? We're getting out!" The Doctor said mockingly to the camera before turning and sonicing the door behind him, making the one to the house open. He looked back as Lynda popped her head through, looking at him. "Come with us." He told her as she looked back at Strood.

"We're not allowed!" Strood said.

"Stay in there - you've got a fifty-fifty chance of disintegration. Stay with us - I promise I'll get you out alive. Come on!"

"No- I can't, I can't..." She said nervously.

"Lynda, you're sweet. From what I've seen of your world, d'you think anyone votes for sweet?" The Doctor held out his hand to her and after a moment's hesitation, she grabbed it, and out they left.

* * *

"Hold on... I've been here before." The Doctor said, looking around level 56 in awe. "This is Satellite Five!" The Doctor walked over to the door to the side room and soniced it before stepping through. "No guards. That makes a change. You'd think a big business like Satellite Five would be armed to the teeth." He shrugged as he walked across the room.

"No one's called it Satellite Five in ages." Elora frowned. "It's the Game Station now. Hasn't been Satellite Five in about a hundred years?" She looked to Lynda for confirmation who nodded back at her.

"How would you know?" The Doctor asked. "I thought you came from the 51st century?"

"Not originally." She smiled softly. "Left here, in the year two zero-zero/one zero-zero and travelled to the 51st century to study there."

"But, how?" He frowned.

"A Professor from the university tracked me down, said I was exactly what they needed. She told me she used to be a doctor." She looked back at The Doctor, grinning at him. "It's not the first time I've run off with a mysterious doctor to see the stars." The Doctor shook his head at her as she grinned madly. "So how long since you were last here?

"A hundred years exactly." He said, checking his watch. "It's the year two zero-zero/one zero-zero. I was here before. Floor 139. Satellite was broadcasting news channels back then... had a bit of trouble upstairs. Nothing too serious. Easy - gave 'em a hand - home in time for tea."

"A hundred years ago?" Lynda asked as The Doctor put his hand on the touch pad to open the door, with no luck. "What, you were here a hundred years ago?" She asked as he began to sonic the edges of the door.

"Yep!"

"You're looking good on it..."

He turned back to her, "I moisturise." He held up the sonic and frowned at it. "Funny sorts of readings. All kinds of energy... the place is humming. It's weird. This goes way beyond normal transmissions. What would they need all that power for?"

"I dunno. I think we're the first ever contestants to get outside." Lynda said.

"We had two friends travelling with me. They must've got caught in the same transmat." He said to Lynda before turning to Elora. "Where would Jack and Rose be?

"They could've been allocated anywhere." Elora said nervously. "There's a hundred different games."

"Like what?

"Well, there's ten floors of 'Big Brother'. There's a different House behind each of those doors." She said, nodding at the doors. "And then beyond that, there's all sorts of shows. It's non-stop. There's um... 'Call My Bluff'... with real guns... 'Countdown', where you've got thirty seconds to stop the bomb going off... 'Ground Force', which is a nasty one... you get turned into compost. Erm... 'Wipeout', speaks for itself... oh! And 'Stars In Their Eyes'."

"Literally, stars in their eyes." Lynda nodded. "If you don't sing, you get blinded."

"And you watch this stuff?" The Doctor asked Lynda.

"Everyone does." She shrugged. "How come you don't?"

"Never paid for my license."

"Oh, my God! You get executed for that!" She gasped.

"Let them try." He muttered, holding up the sonic, making Elora smirk.

"You keep saying things that don't make sense. But who are you though, Doctor? Really?"

"Doesn't matter." He said, walking across to the next door.

"Well, it does to me... I've just put my life in your hands."

"We're just travellers, wandering past. Believe it or not, all _I'm_ after is a quiet life." The Doctor said, examining the lock.

"So... if we get out of here, what're you gonna do? Just... wander off again?"

"Fast as we can."

"So... I could come with ya." She said. The Doctor looked up at Elora and they shared a look before looking at Lynda.

"Maybe you could." He smiled.

"I wouldn't get in the way." She said brightly to Elora.

"We wouldn't mind if you did. Not a bad idea, Lynda with a Y." Elora grinned back.

"But first of all, we've gotta concentrate on the getting out." The Doctor said briskly. "And to do that, you've got to know your enemy - who's controlling it - who's in charge of the satellite now?"

"Hold on..." Lynda said. She ran over to the opposite end of the wall and pulled down a lever on the side of the wall, illuminating the huge letters on the wall that read 'Bad Wolf Corporation'. "Your Lords and Masters." The Doctor gazed up in confusion before looking at Elora.

"It didn't occur to me in Cardiff." She whispered, gulping.

* * *

The three of them emerged onto the observation deck, gazing out and the fogged up Earth below.

"Blimey!" Lynda gasped. "I've never seen it for real before! Not... not from orbit. Planet Earth..."

"What's happened to it?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, it's always been like that. Ever since I was born." Lynda shrugged as Elora took The Doctor's hand in comfort.

"See that there?" She asked quietly pointing out at the Earth. "That's the Great Atlantic Smog Storm. It's been going twenty years. We get news flashes telling us when it's safe to breathe outside."

"So, the population just sits there? Half the world's too fat, half the world's too thin, and you lot just watch telly?" The Doctor asked.

"Ten thousand channels, all beaming down from here." Lynda said.

"The Human Race. Brainless sheep. Being fed on a diet of..." He began bitterly. "Mind you, have they still got that programme where three people have to live with a bear?"

"Oh, 'Bear With Me', I LOVE that one!" Lynda grinned.

"And me. The celebrity edition where the bear got in the-"

"Got in the bath!"

He grew serious again and looked out across the Earth, "But it's all gone wrong. I mean, HISTORY'S gone wrong. Again. This should be the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire - I don't understand. Last time I was here, I put it right."

"No, but that's when it first went wrong." Elora said. "A hundred years ago, like you said. All the news channels - they just shut down overnight."

"But that was me. I did that."

"There was nothing left in their place. No information. The whole planet just froze. The government - the economy - they collapsed... that was the start of it." She blinked at him, concerned. "One hundred years of hell."

"Oh, my..." He stared at the planet, shocked. "I made this world." He squeezed his eyes shut his eyes tightly before hugging Elora tightly. After a minute she let go and looked into his eyes.

"No you didn't."

"Hey, you two!" The looked up to see Jack walking in. "Good to see ya! Any sign of Rose?"

"Can't you track her down?" The Doctor asked as Jack stopped next to them, looking out across the Earth.

"She must still be inside the games. All the rooms are shielded."

The Doctor turned to the little computer, fiddling with it. "If we can just get inside this computer... she's GOT to be here somewhere."

"Well, you'd better hurry up. These games don't have a happy ending."

"You think I don't know that?" The Doctor snapped. Elora just shook her head and ripped off Jack's vortex manipulator, handing it to The Doctor. "Here, it's programmed to find her." He gave her a gentle smile and took it before she turned back to Jack. "You ok?" She asked Jack with a grin.

"Never better." She beamed at him before lurching forward and hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry."

He pulled back with a frown, "What for?" He laughed.

"Nothing." She smiled sadly, shaking her head. "Love you Jack boy." She said with a wink.

"Love you too." He laughed, before noticing Lynda. "Hey there!" He walked towards her, shaking her hand.

"Hello!"

"Captain Jack Harkness."

"Lynda Moss."

"Nice to meet you, Lynda Moss!"

"D'you mind flirting outside?" The Doctor muttered, not even bothering to look up from the computer.

"I was just saying hello!"

"For you, that's flirting." Elora laughed.

"I'm not complaining." Lynda said.

"Which is a good idea." Jack said, placing a kiss on her hand.

"Oh!"

The system bleeped and The Doctor groaned in frustration. "It's not compatible. This stupid system doesn't make sense." He ripped out the manipulator and passed it to Elora before Jack helped him wrench off the front of the computer before taking the manipulator back from Elora, trying to patch it back in. "This place should be a basic broadcaster. The systems are twice as complicated. It's more than just television... this station's transmitting something else."

"Like what?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. This whole Bad Wolf thing's tied up with me. Someone's manipulating my entire life. It's some sort of trap and Rose is stuck inside it." He muttered before the computer bleeped. "Found her! Floor 407!"

Lynda and Elora gasped loudly in horror. "Oh, my God! She's with the Anne Droid!" They shouted in unison.

"We've gotta get her out of there!" Elora shouted, already running out of the room.

* * *

"Rodrick, in physics, who discovered the Fifteen-Dash-Ten Barric Fields?" The Anne Droid's voice rang out through the floor as they bolted out onto floor 407.

"Game Room Six, which one is it?!" The Doctor said frantically.

"Over here!" Lynda said, running over to the door as The Doctor took out his sonic.

"Stand back, let me blast it open." Jack said as The Doctor soniced the touch pad.

"Can't, it's made of Hydra Combination." Elora told him.

"Come on, come on, come on..." The Doctor muttered before the door unlocked. Elora kicked up high, making it fly open as the four of them ran in.

"Rose!" The Doctor shouted.

"Rose, you leave this life with nothing-" The Anne Droid said.

"Stop this game!" Jack shouted.

"I order you to stop this game!" The Doctor demanded as he ran towards the stage. Rose looked back at them before pushing the podium out of the way and bolting towards them.

"You are the weakest link." The Anne Droid stated.

"Look out for the Anne Droid, it's armed!" Rose shouted as she ran. The Anne droid turned her head and her jaw hinges dropped down - the disintegrator beams shot out, hitting Rose squarely in the back. And with a scream, Rose disintegrated, mere feet away from the Doctor. Jack took off towards the set, raging.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Jack shouted as The Doctor dropped down by the pile of dust, silent. Elora stared in fear before screaming out, dropping to the floor in tears. Jack screamed at many people before they were all pulled off by guards.

...

"Can you tell us the purpose of this device, sir?" The guard asked The Doctor, holding the sonic up to The Doctor's face. The four of them sat in a small prison cell, being interrogated. "Can you tell us how you got on board?"

"Just leave him alone-" Lynda began before the security guard grabbed her chin, silencing her.

"I'm asking HIM." He let go of her roughly, turning back to The Doctor. "Sir? Can you tell us who you are?" They got pulled out of the cell, their photos taken before shoved back into the cell. "You will be taken from this place to the Lunar Penal Colony, there to be held without trial, you may not appeal against this sentence. Is that understood?" The four stayed silent as the security guard goes to open the gate.

"Let's do it." The Doctor said to Jack. They all leapt to the feet before Jack kicked back the gate, walking out and throwing the guards aside, knocking them out. They all grabbed their things from the table and walked out as an alarm blared.

* * *

"Okay! Move away from the desk!" Jack and Elora stormed out of the lift ahead of The Doctor and Lynda, each carrying two machine guns around their necks, pointing them at the workers of floor 500. "Nobody try anything clever. Everybody clears!" The staff scattered to the sides of the room and Elora and Jack stepped aside as The Doctor stormed through them, holding up Jack's gun to the front of the room where a white woman hung, connected to a bunch of umbilical cords - the Controller. "Stand to the sides. And stay there."

"Who's in charge of this place?" The Doctor demanded, raising the gun at her.

"... 18... 19... 20..." The Controller whispered.

"This Satellite's more than a Game Station."

"79..."

"Who killed Rose Tyler?"

"All staff are reminded that solar flares-"

"I want an answer!"

"... in delta point one."

"She can't reply." One of the male staff stammered. The Doctor swung round to look at him, still holding the gun upright and making all the staff flinch. "Don't shoot!"

"Oh, don't be so thick. Like I was ever gonna shoot." The Doctor rolled his eyes, tossing the man the gun. "Captain, we've got more guards on the way up. Secure the exits."

"Yes, sir!" Jack said, turning around and walking back towards the door.

"You - what were you saying?" He asked the man.

"But... I've got your gun." He replied.

"Okay, so shoot me. Why can't she answer?"

"She's, um..." He glanced down at the gun. "Can I put this down?"

"If you want, just hurry up."

"Thanks." He put the gun down on the floor before awkwardly looking back at The Doctor. "Sorry. Um... the Controller is linked to the transmissions. The entire output goes through her brain - you're not a member of staff so she doesn't recognize your existence."

"What's her name?" Elora asked, staring up at her.

"I don't know. She was installed when she was five years old. That's the only life she's ever known."

"Door's sealed. We should be safe for about ten minutes." Jack shouted over.

"Keep an eye on 'em." Elora called back, her gaze still fixed on the Controller.

"But that stuff you were saying about something going on with the Game Station - I think you're right." The man stammered. "Unauthorized transmats... it's been going on for years."

"Show me." The Doctor said as Jack placed his hand onto the door to Archive Six.

"You're not allowed in there! Archive Six is out of bounds!" A female programmer shouted.

"Do I look like an out-of-bounds sort of guy?" Jack said sarcastically, holding up his guns before turning and walking into the room.

"If you're not holding us hostage, then open the door and let us out. The staff are terrified." The female programmer demanded.

"That's the same staff who execute hundreds of contestants every day-" The Doctor said.

"That's not our fault, we're just doing our jobs."

"And with that sentence, you just lost the right to even talk to me. Now back off." He snapped in disgust as Elora glared at her, telling her to back off as Lynda shuffled next to them. The Doctor stared at the computer screen as it started to flicker and the lights started to die down.

"That's just the solar-flares." The male programmer told him. "They interfere with the broadcast signal, so this place automatically powers down. Planet Earth gets a few repeats. It's all quite normal."

"Doctor..." The Controller said quietly.

"Doctor?" Elora whispered.

"Not now." The Doctor muttered.

"I think she wants you." The Doctor span round and looked up at the Controller at the end of the room.

"Doctor..." The Controller said again. The Doctor hurried over to her, watching her with sympathy. "Doctor...? Where's the Doctor?"

"I'm here."

"Can't see. I'm blind. So blind. Since I came here, blind. All I can see is numbers, but I saw you."

"What do you want?"

"Solar-flares hiding me. They can't hear me- my- my masters, they always listen but they can't hear me now. The sun... the sun is so bright..."

"Who are your masters?"

"They wired my head, their name is forbidden. They control my thoughts, my masters... my masters, I had to be careful. They took me so far away from home, I was scared, I couldn't find you! They monitor the transmissions but they don't watch the programmes. I could hide you inside the games."

"My friend died inside your games." The Doctor said coldly.

"Doesn't matter."

"Don't you DARE tell me that."

"They've been hiding. My masters, hiding in the dark space, watching and shaping the Earth... so, so, so many years... they've always been there. Guiding humanity, hundreds and hundred of years-"

"Who are they?"

"She's trying to sell you." Elora stiffened slightly, watching in horror.

"Who is? Who are your masters?"

"They wait. They plan and grow in numbers, they're strong now. So strong, my masters-"

"Who are they?"

She looked at him suddenly. "But they speak of you. My masters, they fear the Doctor."

"Tell me! Who are they?" He demanded, stepping forward. She gasped suddenly as the power flickered back on and she returned to counting. "When's the next solar-flare?" He asked the male programmer.

"Two years time." He replied.

"Fat lot of good that is."

Jack burst out of Archive Six, grinning like a maniac. "Found the TARDIS!"

"We're not leaving now." The Doctor said.

"No. But the TARDIS worked it out." Jack said, shoving the male programmer out of his chair. "You'll wanna watch this. Lynda, could you stand over there for me please?" Jack said, pointing to a spot.

"I- I just wanna go home." She replied nervously.

"It'll only take a second. Could you stand in that spot, quick as you can?" She nodded quickly before standing in the spot. "Everybody watching? Okay... three, two, one-" He pressed a button on the computer and disintegrator beam shot down from the ceiling and hit Lynda.

"But you killed her!" The Doctor said, shocked.

"Oh, d'you think?" Jack asked, pressing the button again as she reappeared next to The Doctor, unharmed.

"... What the hell was that?" She asked.

"It's a transmat beam." Elora whispered, grinning slowly.

"Not a disintegrator - a secondary transmat system." Jack agreed, standing up and walking towards The Doctor and Elora. "People don't get killed in the games! They get transported across space! Guys, Rose is still alive!" The three of them laughed, hugging each other tightly.

* * *

"She's out there somewhere!" The Doctor said, bolting from console to console.

"Doctor!" The Controller called. They all looked up to her as she grimaced in pain. "Co-ordinates five point six point one-"

"Don't! The solar flare's gone, they'll hear you!" The Doctor shouted as Elora quickly typed the coordinates into a computer. "Point four three four- no my masters, no! I defy you! Stigma seven seven-" She screamed out and disappeared out of thin airs, the umbilical cords dropping. "They took her."

* * *

"Oh, my masters..." The Controller gasped, standing up slowly, looking at the Dalek gliding towards her. "You can kill me. For I have brought your destruction." The Dalek sent out a shot, leaving her to collapse to the floor, before gliding out of the room. The Controller stayed silent, dead, for a few seconds before groaning and rolling over. She stumbled to her feet and stood up, looking at herself in the shiny wall as she silently screamed out, throwing her arms our as a golden light filled through her body. She through her head forward, looking at herself in shock. Her hair had grown out, long and golden blonde and she was a lot more tanned, a bit more filled out than her anorexic form before and a little shorter. She leaned forward, looking at her sparkling blue eyes, no longer nearly blind as before. She quickly span around, making sure there was no Daleks around before grinning to herself.

* * *

"Look, use that." The male programmer said as Jack sat at one of the computers, handing him a disk. "It might contain the final numbers. I kept a log of all the unscheduled transmissions."

"Nice... thanks..." He took it from him before holding out his hand. "Captain Jack Harkness, by the way..."

"I'm Davitch Pavale." Davitch replied, shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Davitch Pavale..."

"There's a time and a place." The Doctor scolded.

"Are you saying this entire set-up's been a disguise all along?" The female programmer asked.

"Going way back." Elora nodded. "Installing the Jagrafess a hundred years ago. Someone's been playing a long game. Controlling the Human Race from behind the scenes for generations."

"Click on this." Jack said, handing The Doctor a small device. The Doctor aimed it at the screen that had replaced where the Controller hung and clicked it, making an image of an empty expanse of space materializes above thier heads. "The transmat delivers to that point. Right on the edge of the solar system."

"There's nothing there." Elora frowned.

"It looks like nothing. 'Cause that's what this satellite does. Underneath the transmission, there's another signal..." The Doctor said.

"Doing what?" Davitch asked.

"Hiding whatever's out there. Hiding it from sonar, radar, scanner... There's something sitting right on top of Planet Earth... but it's completely invisible. If I cancel the signal..." He pressed a few buttons and they all looked up at the screen, now full of golden saucers spinning slowly in space.

"That's impossible. Those ships... they were destroyed." Elora and Jack said in unison.

"Obviously, they survived."

"Who did? Who are they?" Lynda asked.

"Two hundred ships. More than two thousand on board each one. That's just about half a million of them."

"Half a million what?" Davitch asked.

"Daleks." Elora gulped when suddenly, a communication broadcast appeared on screen showing two Daleks with Rose standing in between.

"I will talk to the Doctor." The first Dalek said.

"Oh, will you? That's nice. Hello!" The Doctor said, waving mockingly at them.

"The Dalek Stratagem nears completion. The Fleet is almost ready. You will not intervene."

"Oh, really? Why's that then?"

"We have your associate. You will obey or she will be exterminated."

"No." Everyone except Elora looked at him in shock. The Doctor looked up at her and she nodded with a small smile before he turned back to the screen.

"Explain yourself."

"I said 'no'."

"What is the meaning of this negative?"

"It means 'no'." He said sternly.

"But she will be destroyed."

"No!" He shouted. "'Cos this is what I'm gonna do - I'm gonna rescue her. I'm gonna save Rose Tyler from the middle of the Dalek Fleet, and then I'm gonna save the Earth, and then just to finish off, I'm gonna wipe every last STINKING Dalek outta the sky!"

"But you have no weapons! No defences! No plan!"

"Yeah. And doesn't that scare you to death? Rose?"

"Yes, Doctor?" Rose replied eagerly.

"I'm coming to get you." He clicked the device, cutting off the transmission.

**Please Review!**


	5. The Parting Of The Ways

**Sometime in the 52nd century...**

The beaded curtain hung from the ceiling lightly, dazzling lights bounding off of it, mainly reds. The smell of alien cocktails and smoke filled the air as many aliens made their way through the beaded curtain, although it looked to the blind eye that it wasn't moving. Out of nowhere, a pair of piercing but sparkling blue eyes appeared and blonde hair tumbled over the owners face. The Controller turned away from the bar scene, pulled her hair into a messy bun, leaving strands falling out before looking at herself in the mirrored wall. She sighed, straightening down her green cargo top over her black jeans with sigh.

"You look just like Jenny," She blinked in the mirror a few times, smiling sadly, staring back at the woman behind her in the reflection.

"Where's Mamora?" She asked sadly.

River smiled at her softly, coming up behind her and placing a hand on her back, "Trying to track them down at the moment." The Controller turned round and smiled at River, admiring her hair pinned up and the dress she was wearing. "Managed to get this from Dorium." River grinned wickedly at her, holding up a vortex manipulator. "I need you to be with me when I turn up at the university though, just for a bit." River told her, strapping it to her wrist.

"Why?" The Controller asked.

"Spoilers." River replied with a wink, taking her hand and placing it on her wrist. "Don't worry, JJ's already there."

* * *

**200100...**

"We've got incoming!" Jack shouted. The three of them ran around the console as The TARDIS span round space furiously, missiles from the Dalek ships exploding against the shields.

"The extrapolators working. We've got a fully functional forcefield." Elora said, running round to the scanner.

"Try saying that when you're drunk..." Jack commented.

"And for my next trick..." The Doctor said, pulling at the controls as the TARDIS materialized. Slowly, Rose and a Dalek gently appeared inside the TARDIS. Rose turned round quickly to look at Elora, Jack and The Doctor by the console, Jack holding the Defabricator. "Rose! Get down!" He shouted as the Dalek swivelled round. "Get down, Rose!" She threw herself to the floor quickly as the Dalek fired at Jack. Jack quickly held up the gun, making the ray fire back and hit the Dalek in the eye stalk, making it explode with a scream. Rose coughed at the smoke, scrambling to her feet, looking back at the Dalek.

"You did it!" She gasped. The Doctor walked over to her in silence, hugging her tightly. "Feels like I haven't seem you in years."

"Told you I'd come and get you." The Doctor said, pulling away.

"Never doubted it."

"I did! You all right?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Not bad. Been better!" He nodded before approaching the remains of the Dalek before Elora and Jack walked up to Rose.

"Hey, don't we get a hug?"

"Ahh, come here!" Rose grinned, hugging the both of them.

"I was talking to him." Jack laughed, squeezing her back. "Welcome home!"

"Ohh, thought I'd never see you again." She smiled at the both of them, pulling back.

"Oh, you were lucky - I was just a one-shot wonder." Jack said.

"Drained the gun of all its power supply." Elora said, nodding at the Defabricator. "Now it's just a piece of junk." She glanced over at the Doctor, examining the Dalek with the sonic. The three of them walked up to The Doctor as they all peered into the Dalek.

"You said they were extinct. How comes they're still alive?" Rose asked.

"One minute they're the greatest threat in the universe, the next minute they vanished out of time and space." Jack said.

"They went off to fight a bigger war... the Time War..." The Doctor muttered.

"I thought that was just a legend."

"I was there. The war between the Daleks and the Time Lords. With the whole of creation at stake. My people were destroyed, but they took the Daleks with them." He turned quiet, gulping as Elora gently took his hand. "I almost thought it was worth it. Now it turns out they died for nothing."

"There's thousands of them now. We could hardly stop ONE. What're we gonna do?" Rose asked.

"No good stood round here chin-wagging!" The Doctor looked up cheerfully. "Human race, you'd gossip all day. The Daleks have got the answers - let's go and meet the neighbours." He grinned before pulling Elora off towards the door.

"You can't go out there-!" Rose argued urgently as The Doctor opened the door and stepped out. Rose shared a look with Jack before they both followed.

"Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!" The Doctor chanted as the four of them stared at the group of Daleks surrounding them. As they screeched they shout out at them but hit the forcefield, keeping the Time Lord and his companions safe. The Daleks eventually gave up as The Doctor raised his hands mockingly.

"Is that it? Useless! Nul points." The Doctor rolled his eyes as Elora looked back at the doors of The TARDIS with Jack and Rose looking out cautiously.

"It's all right, come on out." She told them. "That forcefield can hold back anything."

"Almost anything." Jack said.

"... Yes, but I wasn't gonna tell them that. Thanks."

"Sorry." Jack winced and stepped out of The TARDIS with Rose as The Doctor stepped forward to the Daleks.

"D'you know what they call me in the ancient legends of the Dalek Homeworld?" He asked them. "The Oncoming Storm. You might've removed all your emotions... but I reckon that right down deep in your DNA, there's one little spark left. And that's fear." Elora smirked, watching the Daleks as their eyepieces twitched nervously. "Doesn't it just BURN when you face me? So, tell me - how did you survive the Time War?"

"They survived through me." They all looked round, startled, and stared up at the Emperor Dalek towering above them all.

"Elora... Rose... Captain... this is the Emperor of the Daleks." The Doctor almost whispered.

"You destroyed us, Doctor. The Dalek Race died in your inferno, but my ship survived, falling through time, crippled but alive."

"I get it."

"Do not interrupt!" 3 Daleks screeched at him, making Rose and Jack flinch.

"I think you're forgetting something. I'm the Doctor. And if there's one thing I can do - it's talk. I've got five billion languages, and you haven't got one way of stopping me. So if anybody's gonna shut up, it's YOU!" He shouted the last word at the Daleks, making them shuffle backwards a bit as The Doctor turned back to the Emperor. "Okey doke. So, where were we?" He asked again lightly.

"We waited here in the dark space, damaged but rebuilding." The Emperor Dalek stated. "Centuries passed, and we quietly infiltrated the systems of Earth. Harvesting the waste of humanity. The prisoners, the refugees, the dispossessed - they all came to us. The bodies were filtered, pulped, sifted. The seed of the Human Race is perverted. Only one cell in a billion was fit to be nurtured."

"You created an army of Daleks out of the dead." Elora said with disgust.

"That makes them... half human." Rose said.

"Those words are blasphemy!" The Emperor Dalek exclaimed.

"Do not blaspheme!" 3 Daleks once again chanted.

"Everything human has been purged. I cultivated pure and blessed Dalek."

"Since when did the Daleks have a concept of blasphemy?" The Doctor asked, looking around them with a look of disturb.

"I reached into the dirt and made new life. I am the God of all Daleks!"

"Worship him! Worship him! Worship him!" The Daleks chanted.

"They're insane!" The Doctor said to the three of them. "A hundred years hiding in silence - that's enough to drive anyone mad." He stared back at the Dalek intently, walking towards them slowly. "But it's worse than that. Driven mad by your own flesh. The stink of humanity. You hate your own existence. And that makes them more deadly than ever." He shook his head before turning back towards the TARDIS. "We're going."

"You may NOT leave my presence!" The Emperor Dalek ordered but The Doctor ignored his orders, pushing his companions back inside The TARDIS.

* * *

"Turn everything up." The four of them marched out of The TARDIS, The Doctor ordering the staff of floor 500. "All transmissions, wide open, full power. Now! Do it!"

"What does that do?" Davitch asked as he started to turn up the transmissions.

"Stops the Daleks from transmatting on board."

"How did you get on?" Elora asked as they approached the other end of the floor, appearing behind the computers. "Did you contact Earth?"

"Well, we tried to warn them, but all they did was suspend our license because we stopped the programmes."

"And the planet's just sitting there, defenceless." She groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose as The Doctor looked over, noticing Lynda sitting on the floor.

"Lynda, what're you still doing on board?" The Doctor asked before turning to Davitch. "I told you to evacuate everyone."

"She wouldn't go." Davitch replied.

"Didn't wanna leave ya." She smiled, standing up as Rose looked her up and down.

"There weren't enough shuttles anyway," The female programmer said, sitting next to Davitch. "Or I wouldn't be here... we've got about a hundred people stranded on Floor Zero."

"Oh, my God." They looked over to Davitch, staring at the screen. "The Fleet is moving. They're on their way." The Doctor furrowed his brow for a second before running round to all of the desks, ripping armfuls of wires out of desks.

"Dalek plan - big mistake." He began quickly. "Because what have they left me with? Anyone? Anyone? Oh, come on - it's obvious. A great big transmitter - this station." Jack and Elora shared a look in realization. "If I can change the signal, fold it back, sequence it - anyone?"

"You've gotta be kidding." Jack said.

"Give the man a medal!"

"A Delta Wave?" Elora and Jack exclaimed in unison.

"A Delta Wave!" The Doctor grinned.

"What's a Delta Wave?" Rose asked.

"A wave of Van Cassadyne energy." Elora explained. "Fries your brain - stand in the way of a Delta Wave and your head gets barbequed!"

"And this place can transmit a MASSIVE wave! Wipe out the Daleks!" The Doctor grinned. Rose opened her mouth about to say it-

"Well, get started and do it then!" Lynda grinned. Rose shut her mouth again, annoyed.

"Trouble is, wave this size, building this big, brain as clever as mine, should take about - ooh - three days? How long till the Fleet arrive?"

"Twenty-two minutes." Davitch called over. Elora and Jack shared another nervous look.

"We've gotta try." Elora said, breathing in sharply before taking the wires from The Doctor as he collected them.

* * *

"We've now got a forcefield so they can't blast us out of the sky." Jack explained as he and Elora sat at a computer together whilst Rose, Lynda, Davitch and the Female programmer gathered behind them.

"But that doesn't stop the Daleks from physically invading." Elora said.

"Do they know about the Delta Wave?" Davitch asked.

Elora nodded. "They'll have worked it out at the same time. So, if they want to stop the Doctor, that means they've got to get to this level - 500." She pointed at the diagram on the screen.

"Now, we can concentrate the extrapolator around the top six levels, 500 to 495." Jack said, tapping each level on the screen. "So, they'll penetrate the station below that at level 494 and fight their way up."

"Who're they fighting?" Davitch asked.

"Us."

"And... what're we fighting with?

"The guards had guns with bastic bullets - that's enough to blow a Dalek wide open."

"There's SIX of us." The female programmer pointed out.

"Rose, you can help me." The Doctor called over as he fiddled with wires. "I need all these wires stripped bare." Rose bounded over to him quickly. "Right! Now there's FOUR of us!"

"Then let's move it! Into the lift! Isolate the lift controls!" Jack ordered. Davitch and the female programmer hurried off as Lynda walked up to The Doctor. He stood up and grinned at her.

"I - I just wanna say, um... thanks, I s'pose. And... I'll do my best!" She said nervously.

"Me too." The Doctor nodded before shaking her hand, laughing awkwardly before heading off as Jack and Elora walked up to them.

"It's been fun!" Jack laughed nervously as Rose stood up and they all stood together, opposite each other. Elora whacked his arm, smiling nervously.

"We'll get out of this." She told them. "We're the dream team, c'mon." The Doctor smiled sympathetically at her as Jack sighed.

"But I guess this is goodbye." Jack said.

"Don't talk like that." Rose said. "The Doctor's gonna do it. You just watch him."

"Rose..." He cupped her face. "You are worth fighting for." He placed a brief on her lips before turning to The Doctor.

"Wish I'd never met you, Doctor!" He grinned, cupping his face. "I was much better off as a coward." He gave him a gentle kiss before looking over at the exit, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "See ya in hell." He grinned, running off towards the exit. They looked back to Elora who was staring at them, smiling but with tears pouring down her face. Rose pulled her into a tight hug before letting go and wiping the tears from her face.

"We'll be ok." Rose told her. Elora nodded before turning to The Doctor and hugging him tightly. He gripped onto her tightly, not wanting to let go when she leant closer to him and whispered into his ear.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. She stepped back, looking at his shocked expression before placing a kiss on his cheek and running off.

She kept running towards the exit when she stopped suddenly. She turned round and looked over to the side at the shelves that lined the walls full of alien tech when she saw it. A sonic blaster in its holster. She gulped and glanced down at her hands before snatching it and attaching it to her belt loop before getting in the lift and pressing the button for level 494. She ran out of the lift, bashing straight into Jack.

"I have to go back up there." She told him. Jack was about to argue but stared at her before nodding.

"You better know what you're doing."

"No idea." She said before placing a friendly kiss on his lips and running back into the lift.

* * *

Elora walked back in, her shoes making a clipping noise as she approached The Doctor and Rose who were sitting on the floor.

"Jack needs you-"

"Don't argue with me Doctor!" Elora told him firmly, sitting down with him and Rose. The Doctor sighed, shaking his head, not bothering to argue with her. "You need hands up here too."

Rose smiled at her before furrowing her brow. "Suppose..." She began.

"What?" The Doctor asked after a moment.

"Nothing." She shook her head.

"You said 'suppose'."

"No, I was just thinking... I mean, obviously you can't, but... you've got a time machine. Why can't you just go back to last week and warn them?"

"Soon as the TARDIS lands in that second, I become part of events. Stuck in the timeline." He muttered, not bothering to look up from the wiring.

"Yeah, thought it'd be something like that..."

"There's another thing the TARDIS could do... it could take us away..." Rose and Elora looked up at him. "We could leave. Let history take its course. We go to Marbella in 1989. Go grab Jack, first of course."

"Yeah, but you'd never do that." Rose said, smiling softly.

"No, but you could ask." He glanced at Elora. "Either of you." They both looked back down at the wiring. "Never even occurred to you, did it?"

"Well, we're just too good!" Rose laughed, leaning over and squeezing Elora's hand as the computer whirred in the background.

"The Delta Wave's started building. How long does it need?" The Doctor asked. They all lept to their feet and rushed over to the computers. The Doctor plonked himself in one of the chairs and Rose and Elora peered over his shoulder. He pressed a few buttons, stares at the monitor... and his face fell.

"Is that bad?" Rose asked. The Doctor's head sunk as Elora sighed. "Okay, it's bad. How bad is it?" Suddenly, The Doctor jumped up, his eyes bright. "Rose Tyler, you're a GENIUS!" He grinned, placing a kiss on her forehead. "We can do it! If I use the TARDIS to cross my old timeline... yes!" He shot off towards The TARDIS with Rose running behind him. Elora smiled sadly, walking slowly towards The TARDIS and taking the blaster out of its holster. The Doctor bolted out again, grinning at Elora and nodding for her to follow into The TARDIS. He turned back to the doors, expecting to wait for her to go in. He turned back to see why she wasn't going in and at the same time the gun cocked. He found himself looking down the barrel of the gun. He looked up and stared Elora in her teary eyes.

"Doctor?" Rose called out.

"Send her home." Elora whispered. The Doctor nodded, turning and sonicing The TARDIS, making it materialize. As it disappeared, he turned back to face her. She reattached the gun into its holster and The Doctor gave her a forgiving nod.

"It's ok." He told her.

* * *

"I'm so glad I met you." The Doctor looked up abruptly from the wires at Elora. She blushed furiously, looking at him. "Sorry, but I am. You made me a better person. Which you shouldn't have done, because I didn't deserve it."

"What do you mean, of course you did. Jack thought so too, otherwise he wouldn't have taken you with him."

Elora sighed, shaking her head. "Doctor, me and Jack are bad people. We're con artists. We're corrupt."

"Not any more." The Doctor sighed, leaning forward and cupping her face, putting one hand on her waist. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. Their lips brushed very slightly when Jack's voice interrupted on the intercom.

"Rose, I've called up the internal laser codes." Jack said. "There should be a different number on every screen - can you read them out to me?"

The Doctor sighed, letting go of Elora and sitting back. "She's not here."

"Of all the times to take a leak! When she gets back, tell her to read me the codes!"

"She's not coming back." Elora called to him.

"What d'you mean? Where'd she go?"

"Just get on with your work." The Doctor instructed.

"You took her home, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"The Delta Wave... is it ever gonna be ready?"

"Tell him the truth, Doctor." They looked up at the screen to see an image of the Emperor Dalek projected onto it. "There is every possibility that the Delta Wave could be complete, but no possibility of refining it. The Delta Wave must kill every living thing in its path - with no distinction between Human and Dalek. All things will die. By your hand."

"Doctor... the range of this transmitter covers the entire Earth." Jack said.

"You would destroy Daleks and Humans together. If I am God, the creator of all things, then what does that make you, Doctor?"

"There are colonies out there. The Human Race would survive in some shape or form, but you're the only Daleks in existence. The whole universe is in danger if I let you live." The Doctor said, before looking over at the screen with Jack on. "Do you see, Jack? That's the decision I've got to make for every living thing. Die as a Human or live as a Dalek. What would you do?"

"You sent her home. She's safe. Keep working." Jack said.

"But he will exterminate you!" The Emperor Dalek bellowed.

"Never doubted him, never will." Jack grinned. The Doctor leapt to his feet and strode across the room as Elora stood up slowly.

"Now, you tell me, 'God of all Daleks' - 'cos there's one thing I never worked out." The Doctor began. "The words 'Bad Wolf', spread across time and space. Everywhere, drawing me in. How'd you manage that?"

"I did nothing." The Emperor Dalek said.

"Oh, come on. There's no secrets now, your worship."

"They are not part of my design." The Doctor frowned, looking up at the 'Bad Wolf Corporation' sign. "This is the Truth of God."

* * *

"Jack, how're we doing?" Elora asked through the intercom as the Game Station shook whilst The Doctor ran around the room, building the Delta Wave.

"495 should be good. I like 495." Jack replied.

"Good!" Elora grinned. "Lynda! What's happening on Earth?"

"The Fleet's descending..." Lynda sobbed. "They're bombing whole continents. Europa... Pacifica... the New American Alliance... Australasia's just... gone." Elora squeezed her eyes tightly and opened them again, trying to keep a grip as the shots from the floor below rung through. "I've got a problem..."

"Lynda what's wrong?" Elora asked.

"They've found me."

"You'll be all right, Lynda. That side of the station's reinforced against meteors."

"Hope so! Know what they say about Earth Workmanship..." After a few moments, a scream, ran through the intercom. Elora began to hyperventilate, looking over at The Doctor.

"Last man standing! For God's sake, Doctor, finish that thing and kill them!" Jack yelled through to them, making The Doctor begin to work twice as quickly.

"Finish that thing and kill mankind." The Emperor's voice echoed over.

"Doctor, you've got twenty seconds maximum!"

"EXTERMINATE!" The Doctor grinned at the device he'd put together before looking up in shock as he listened to Jack be killed. Elora froze, her mouth hanging open and tears pouring out. She quickly sprinted towards the door, screaming, only to be pulled back by the waist by The Doctor.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, placing a kiss to her head as he pulled up the lever on the device. They looked up as Daleks filed into the room, blocking all exits to them. "You really wanna think about this." He told them. "'Cos if I activate the signal, every living creature dies."

"I am immortal." The Emperor told him through the screen.

"D'you wanna put that to the test?" Elora spat bitterly.

"I want to see you become like me. Hail the Doctor, the Great Exterminator!"

"I'll do it!" The Doctor shouted as he and Elora placed their hands on the lever.

"Then prove yourself, Doctor. What are you - coward or killer?" The Doctor grew tense before letting go of the lever, watching Elora in shock as her hands stayed firm.

"Coward. Any day." He announced, moving Elora's hands away from the lever as tears poured down her face.

"Mankind will be harvested because of your weakness."

"And what about us? Are we becoming two of your angels?"

"You are the Heathen. You will be exterminated."

"Maybe it's time." The Doctor sighed. He shut his eyes tightly as Elora looked up to where The TARDIS was parked before. Suddenly, wind blew throughout the room and The TARDIS engines whirred through the room as it materialized in exactly the same place.

"Alert! TARDIS materializing!" One of the Daleks exclaimed. The Doctor's eyes snapped open as he and Elora stared in disbelief.

"You will not escape!" The Emperor demanded. The TARDIS stabilized and the doors flung open, gold light pouring out - the time vortex. They both squinted as Rose stood in the doorway. She stepped forward, gold flowing through her eyes, making The Doctor stumble to the ground.

"What've you done?" The Doctor gasped.

"I looked into the TARDIS. And the TARDIS looked into me." Rose replied monotone.

"You looked into the Time Vortex - Rose," Elora gasped as Rose's gaze snapped up to her. "No one's meant to see that."

"This is the abomination!" The Emperor Dalek roared.

"Exterminate!" A Dalek screeched. It fired at Rose but she quickly held up her hand, blocking the laser.

"I am the Bad Wolf." She said. "I create myself. I take the words..." She raised her hand to the sign on the wall, mixing the metal letters that spelt out 'Bad Wolf' and made them disappear. "I scatter them in time and space. A message to lead myself here."

"Rose, you've got to stop this. You've got to stop this now." The Doctor begged as she stared ahead of him. "You've got the entire vortex running through your head. You're gonna burn."

"I want you safe." She said, looking down at him. "My Doctor. Protected from the false God."

"You cannot hurt me. I am immortal." The Emperor said.

"You are tiny." Rose spat. "I can see the whole of time and space - every single atom of your existence, and I divide them." She waved her hand in front of her, making The Daleks dissolve into golden particles, into nothing. "Everything must come to dust... all things. Everything dies. The Time War ends."

"I will not die. I cannot die!"

"Rose, you've done it. Now stop. Just let go." Elora whispered.

"How can I let go of this? I bring life..." She gasped.

"But this is wrong! You can't control life and death!" The Doctor said.

"But I can. The sun and the moon... the day and night. But why do they hurt...?"

"The power's gonna kill you and it's my fault."

"I can see everything. All that is... all that was... all that ever could be."

"That's what I see. All the time. And doesn't it drive you mad?"

"My head..." Rose gasped. Elora stepped forward, taking Rose's hands as The Doctor watched in shock. She looked straight into Rose's eyes as the vortex poured into Elora's mind. Rose gasped, her eyes rolling back before collapsing to the floor.

"Elora, what have you done?" Elora looked round at him, a little more in control of the vortex than Rose.

"I'm so sorry Time Lord." She nodded at him. "This is my only escape chance."

"What do you mean?"

"When I realised, you were the last Time Lord, I realised I could sort my life out, run away from the universe and have a last chance at life." The Doctor frowned at her, not understanding. "All this time I've been travelling with you, I was planning to kill you, sell you, whatever. The whole time... Doctor, I'm a con woman." The Doctor stared at her, sympathetically, understanding. "How much was the last Time Lord worth?" He stood up slowly. "But you changed me, I didn't want to be like that anymore, I don't!"

"Then don't!"

"I have to, for Jack, he's dead and I can't do this to you anymore, because I _can't _change. I don't want to do this to you!"

The Doctor just smiled, laughing at the absurdity. "Come here," He said, walking towards her.

"... It's killing me..." She gasped.

"I think you need a Doctor." He leant forward, kissing her.

* * *

Elora sat with her knees hugged to her chest, leaning against the metal railings of The TARDIS as Rose layed next to her and The Doctor held onto the TARDIS console. Rose's eyes fluttered open and she sat up slowly.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Don't you remember?" The Doctor asked.

"It's like... there was this singing..." She sat up, rubbing her head.

"That's right! I sang a song and the Daleks ran away."

"I was at home... no, I wasn't, I was in the TARDIS, and... I can't remember anything else..."

"Rose Tyler." He gave a small laugh as Rose stood up. "I was gonna take you to so many places. Barcelona - not the city Barcelona, the planet. You'd love it. Fantastic place - they've got dogs with no noses." Rose giggled. "Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and it's still funny!"

"Then, why can't we go?" Rose asked as Elora stood up and took her hand.

"Maybe you will. And maybe I will. Maybe we all will. But not like this." He said, looking back at the scanner.

"You're not making sense!" Rose said.

"I might never make sense again! I might have two heads. Or no head!" Rose nodded. "Imagine me with no head! And don't say that's an improvement..."

"But it's a bit dodgy, this process." Elora explained nervously. "You never know what you're gonna end up with-" The Doctor suddenly fell backwards a bit, holding his stomach. Rose went to rush forward in shock, only to be pulled back by Elora.

"Doctor!" Rose gasped.

"Stay away!" Elora instructed her.

"Doctor, tell me what's going on."

"I absorbed all the energy of the Time Vortex, and no one's meant to do that!" He groaned. "Every cell in my body's dying."

"Can't you do something?"

"Yeah, I'm doing it now!" Rose looked to Elora for an explanation.

"Time Lords have this little trick, it's... sort of a way of cheating death. Except... It means he's gonna change." She explained slowly.

"And I'm not gonna see you again." The Doctor continued. "Not like this. Not with this daft old face. And before I go..."

"Don't say that." Rose said.

"Rose... Before I go, I just wanna tell you, you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic." He looked over at Elora. "And you. And d'you know what?" He grinned at the two of them. "So was I." The Doctor's arms threw out as Elora pulled Rose out of the way.

"MOVE!" She shouted. Elora blocked both of their views with her arm, waiting until the light had died down before looking back at The Doctor. He'd grown a bit taller, become thinner and has brown hair spiking everywhere. He looked around in surprise before looking at Rose and Elora.

"Hello! Okay-oo." He gulped as Elora nodded at him with relief, clearly not bothered by the regeneration process. He ran his tongue over his teeth before looking up at the two women. "New teeth. That's weird. So, where was I? Oh, that's right! Barcelona." He grinned at Elora who grinned back whilst Rose just stared in shock.

**A/N - End of Series 1! Aw I'm gonna miss 9! The next series will still be on this story, but the summary will change for each series. So, yeah, next chapter up is The Christmas Invasion. Exciting. Please Review!**


	6. The Christmas Invasion

The TARDIS doors flew open and The Doctor appeared, leaning aginst the doorframe as he looked around the council estate.

"Here we are, then! London! Earth! The Solar System! We did it!" He cheered. He stumbled out, looking up at the flats when he noticed Jackie and Mickey in front of him, staring. "Jackie! Mickey! Blimey! No, no, no, no, hold on." He stumbled back a bit in confusion. "Wait there, I've got something to say. There was something I had to tell you. Something important, what was it? No, hold on, hold on..." He fell forward a bit more, grabbing onto their shoulders tightly. "Hold on, shush, shush, shush, shush... OH!" Jackie and Mickey jumped in alarm as he looked between the both of them, panting and beaming. "I know! Merry Christmas!" He grinned one last time before collapsing, falling to the ground, unconscious as Rose and Elora stepped out of TARDIS, looking down at him.

"What happened? Is he all right?" Rose asked.

"I don't know, he just keeled over!" Mickey spluttered. "But who is he? Where's the Doctor?"

"That's him. Right in front of you. That's the Doctor."

"What d'you mean, "that's the Doctor"? Doctor who?" Jackie exclaimed.

...

"Here we go." Jackie said, handing Elora a stethescope as her and Rose sat either side of The Doctor, tucked up in bed. "Tina the Cleaner's got this lodger, medical student. And she was fast asleep, so I just took it." Elora smiled at her, putting it into her ears. "Though, I still say we should take him to hospital."

"We can't." Rose half hissed at her mother. "They'd lock him up. They'd dissect him. One bottle of his blood could change the future of the human race." Jackie opened her mouth to say something as Elora placed the stethescope to either side of The Doctor's chest. "No! Shush!"

"Both working." Elora confirmed.

"What d'you mean 'both'?" Jackie asked.

"Well, he's got two hearts."

"Oh, don't be stupid."

Elora smiled as Rose got up, walking off. "He has!"

"Anything else he's got two of?"

Rose turned back, looking at her mother. "Leave him alone." She snapped before walking off again with Jackie following. Elora smiled down at The Doctor, placing a kiss on his forhead before following the two Tylers.

...

"How can he go changing his face?" Jackie asked as the three of them stood in the kitchen. Rose turned away from the fridge and looked at her mother. "Is that a different face or is he a different person?"

"Same man Jackie." Elora smiled softly.

"The thing is... I thought I knew him, mum." Rose gulped, leaning against the worktop. "I thought me and him were... and then he goes and does this." She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand, turning to Elora. "I keep forgetting he's not human." She laughed slightly. "The big question is... where'd you get a pair of men's pyjamas from?" She asked Jackie.

"Howard's been staying over." Jackie shrugged, as they all walked into the living room.

"What, Howard from the market? How long's that been going on?"

"A month or so. First of all, he starts delivering to the door and I thought, 'that's a bit odd'. Next thing you know, it's a bag of oranges-"

"Is that Harriet Jones?!"

"Oh, never mind me..."

"Why's she on the telly?"

"She's Prime Minister now. I'm eighteen quid a week better off." Rose grinned at the telly. "They're calling it 'Britain's Golden Age'. Keep on saying "my Rose has met her"."

"Did more than that. Stopped World War Three with her. Harriet Jones..."

"Harriet Jones - what about those calling the Guinevere One Space Probe a waste of money?" A reporter asked Harriet on the television.

"Now, that's where you're wrong. I completely disagree if you don't mind." Harriet replied, making Rose laugh. "The Guinevere One Space Probe represents this country's limitless ambition. British workmanship sailing up there among the stars." The screen quickly turned to another man with a beard, looking slightly tired - Llewellyn.

"This is the spirit of Christmas, birth and rejoicing, and the dawn of a new age, and that is what we're achieving fifteen million miles away." He told the press. "Our very own miracle."

The TV turned to show a computerised image of the probe zooming from the Earth, making Elora beam.

"The unmanned probe Guinevere One is about to make its final descent. Photographs of the Martian Landscape should be received by midnight tonight." The TV said.

...

"Rose is scared." Elora mumbled, sitting next to The Doctor in bed, stroking his hair as he lay, comatosed. "I don't blame her." She laughed bitterly. "Your ninth incarnation and Jack fell in the battle, I'm the only one who came out of it the same. And only because of my selfish behaviour. I'm gonna make him proud. Cause he didn't die for nothing. And I'm gonna let the universe know that. I am so sorry-" She breathed in hesitantly, about to talk again when Rose and Mickey came bursting through the front door and ran in to the living room.

"Get off the phone!" Rose shouted as Elora quickly ran into the living room to see what all the commotion was about.

"It's only Bev! She says hello." Jackie said as Rose snatched the phone from her.

"Bev? Yeah- look, it'll have to wait." She hung up and threw the phone down on the sofa before looking over at Elora and Mickey. "Right, it's not safe, we've gotta get out - where can we go?"

"My mate Stan, he'll put us up." Mickey suggested.

"That's only two streets away." She shook her head before looking back at Jackie. "What about Mo? Where's she living now?"

"I dunno! Peak District!" Jackie exclaimed.

"Ok, we'll go to Cousin Mo's then."

"It's Christmas Eve! We're not going anywhere! What're you babbling about?"

Suddenly, Rose's face fell as she looked behind Jackie. "Mum... Where'd you get that tree?" Jackie turned round and looked at the green tree that was previously white. "That's a new tree. Where'd you get it?"

"Well, I thought it was you!"

"How can it be me?"

"Well, you went shopping, there was a ring at the door, and there it was!"

"No, that wasn't me."

"Then who was it...?"

"Didn't you let Elora look at it?!"

"She was with The Doctor..." Rose looked back and shared a look with Elora. Elora nervously walked round Mickey and towards the tree observing the turned off lights.

"This light wiring..." She began. "Looks like-" One by one, the lights turned on. Elora stepped back, grabbing behind her Rose and Mickey.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me." Rose gasped as the tree began to slowly spin. It grew faster and faster as Jingle Bells started to play out of it. It started to spin towards them, reducing the wooden coffee table to dust within seconds.

"Go, go, go! Get out!" Mickey ordered. Elora bolted out of the room and into the spare room, grabbing the Doctor's jacket as Rose ran in behind her, trying to get him out of bed.

"We've got to save the Doctor!" Rose shouted to Jackie.

"What're you doing?!" Jackie gasped.

"We can't just leave him!"

"Mickey! Leave it! Get out! Get out! Mickey! Get out of there!" She shouted at him. Mickey turned and ran into the spare room as Jackie watched them in despair. "Just leave him!"

"Get in here!" Mickey shouted. She looked back at the tree with a squeal before running in and slamming the door shut before she helped Mickey slide a wardrobe in front of it.

"Doctor, wake up!" Rose begged, shaking him. Elora pulled the jacket up and searched through the pockets. She quickly pulled out the sonic and took The Doctor's hand so it was held by the both of them. The four of them looked up in shock as the tree smashed through the wardrobe and into the room, making Jackie jump back and cower against the wall.

"I'm gonna get killed by a Christmas tree!" She gasped.

"Help us." Elora whispered into his ear. She pulled up her and The Doctor's hands and aimed the sonic at the tree before feeling The Doctor press down on the button and make the tree explode. He was now sat up, staring at the cinders falling to the floor before lowering their hands.

"Remote control." Elora frowned, staring at where the tree was. "But who's controlling it?"

...

The Doctor tightened his dressing gown as they all walked out across the balcony. The Doctor and Elora shared a worried look as he took her hand and looking over at the three Santas watching them.

"That's them. What are they?" Mickey asked.

"Shush!" Rose hissed. The Doctor stared at them darkly, raising his sonic at them. They started to back away, moving closer together before teleporting off.

"They've just gone! What kind of rubbish were they?" Mickey scoffed. "I mean, no offence, but they're not much cop if a sonic screwdriver's gonna scare them off."

"Pilot Fish." The Doctor and Elora said in unison.

"What?" Rose asked.

"They were just Pilot Fish." The Doctor shrugged before suddenly groaning out, throwing himself back against the wall and slipping down. They all hurriedly kneeled around him as he gripped Elora's hand tightly.

"What's wrong?!"

"He's having a neuron implosion." Elora said, placing her spare hand to his forehead. "We woke him up to early. He's still regenerating, he's bursting with energy." He gasped out, a golden breath escaping and floating into the ear.

"You see?" The Doctor asked as he nodded at the golden mist. "The Pilot Fish could smell it. A million miles away. So they eliminate the defence - that's you lot - and they carry me off. They could run their batteries on me for a couple of year—" He lurched forward, groaning.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Jackie gasped.

"My head!" He groaned. "I need-"

"What do you need?"

"I need-"

"Say it, tell me, tell me-"

"I need-"

"Painkillers?"

"I need-"

"Do you need aspirin?"

"I-"

"Codeine? Paracetamol? Oh, I dunno- Pepto-Bismol?"

"I need-"

"Liquid paraffin. Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E?"

"I need-"

"Is it food? Something simple? Uh- a bowl of soup? A nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Soup and a little ham sandwich?"

"I need you to shut up."

Jackie looked back at Rose with a nervous laugh, "Oh, he hasn't changed that much, has he?" She asked as he lurched forward again.

"We haven't got much time." The Doctor said to Elora.

"I know, I know." She nodded.

"If there's Pilot Fish, then—" He reached into his pocket and took out an apple, frowning. "Why's there an apple in my dressing gown?"

"Oh, that's Howard, sorry." Jackie aplogised.

"He keeps apples in his dressing gown?"

"He gets hungry."

"What, he gets hungry in his sleep?"

"Sometimes."

The Doctor suddenly shouted out, sinking further to the floor and looked up at Elora. "Brain- collapsing- P- the Pilot Fish. The Pilot Fish mean... that something- something—"

"Something's coming." They said in unison before The Doctor passed out again.

"Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin." Elora said, looking up at Jackie. "Humans in the 21st century, just not sure what that would be."

...

"Last of the Time Lords." Elora sighed, hugging her knees to her chest as she sat on the chair next to The Doctor's bed whilst Rose sat the other side. "I remember before the war started."

"What were they like?" Rose asked. "The Time Lords?"

"Very majestic people." Elora began, deep in thought. "Didn't really see them. They were very pompus. Had way too much power, more than they used to it's proper use."

"What do you mean?"

"The whole universe is corrupt, Rose. I was, Jack was, the Time Lords were. Things don't add up properly. I was brought to the Luna University from the year 200-100 by a professor who didn't exist on the system. When I asked around, nobody had heard of her. Things in this universe don't always add up, but we have to make do, and the Gallifreyan mystery was one of them."

Rose shifted on the bed, frowning at Elora. "The Gallifreyan mystery?"

"Time Lords are a incredible species, and each have what's called an Equal. They're the perfect match for each other, whether it's friendship, love or even hate. But there's a connection, to protect them, even if their Equal is a hate Equal. For years, everyone could feel the Time War coming. We knew something was going on on Gallifrey and the Time Lords were beginning to flee across the stars in small numbers. In the height of the war, something happened on the outskirts with the High Council, and the war was finished. Rumour has it, The Doctor's Equal dissapeared inside the war. Whether they died, or ran away, nobody knows."

"Are you saying one of the Time Lords escaped?" She gasped.

"Maybe," Elora shrugged. "Maybe not. What matters now is dealing with what's coming."

...

"It's midnight. Christmas day." Jackie sighed, plonking a cup of tea onto the table next to the sofa as Rose walked in and sat down on the arm of the sofa.

"Any change?" Elora asked.

"He's worse." Rose sighed. "Just one heart beating."

"_Scientists in charge of Britain's mission to Mars have re-established contact with the Guinevere One space probe_." The TV reported. "_They're expecting the first transmission from the planet's surface in the next few minutes._"

The TV quickly flashed over to Llewellyn. "Yes, we are. We're - we're back on schedule. We've received the signal from Guinevere One. The Mars landing would seem to be an unqualified success."

"But is it true that you completely lost contact earlier tonight?" A reporter asked from behind the camera.

"Yes, we had a bit of a scare. Guinevere seemed to fall off the scope, but it - it was just a blip. Only disappeared for a few seconds. She's fine now, absolutely fine. We - we're getting the first pictures transmitted live any minute now. I'd better get back to it, thanks." He smiled nervously before leaving the stage.

"Right, Pilot Fish." Elora said, turning the attention away from the TV. "They're scavengers, like the Doctor said. Harmless - they're tiny, but the point is, the little fish swim alongside the big fish."

"Do you mean like sharks?" Rose asked.

"Great big sharks. So, what the Doctor means is, we had them... now we're gonna get something bigger coming."

"Something is coming..." Rose whispered. "How close?"

"There's no way of telling, but the Pilot Fish don't swim far from their daddy."

"So, it's close?"

"Funny sort of rocks." Jackie frowned, looking at the telly. The three younger humans followed her gaze to the televison where 3 aliens looked at them through the screen.

"That's not rocks..." Rose said as she squinted at the TV nervously.

"... _coming live from the depths of space on Christmas morning._" The TV reported as the image became clearer. The alien in the front roared, making Jackie, Rose and Mickey gasp as Elora raised her eyebrows at the life forms.

"Sycorax?" Elora said to herself calmly. "Ah, you've gotta be kidding."

...

"Take a look, I've got access to the military." Mickey said, pointing at the screen on his laptop to Elora and Rose. They all stared at the screen from UNIT, showing the ship being tracked. "They're tracking a spaceship. It's big, it's fast, and it's coming this way."

"Coming for what, though? The Doctor?" Rose asked.

"I don't know. Maybe it's coming for all of us." The screen flicked over to the image being replayed of the the Sycorax as they spoke in an alien language.

...

"Elora!" Elora opened her eyes and sat up to find she'd fallen asleep on the Tyler's sofa. She looked up to find Rose shaking her nervously.

"What is it?" She asked, squinting at the sunlight coming through the window.

"Loads of people are standing on the roof." Rose laughed nervously before moving out of the way to show her the TV. On the screen sat Harriet Jones, looking at the camera sadly.

"I would ask you all to remain calm." Harriet said clearly. "But I have one request: Doctor. If you're out there... we need you. I don't know what to do. But if you can hear me, Doctor... If anyone knows the Doctor, if anyone can find him... the situation has never been more desperate. Help us. Please, Doctor. Help us." Elora quickly wiped away a tear dropping down her cheek before bolting over to the computer and looking at the screen.

"Right," She span back and looked at Rose, Mickey and Jackie. "We need to get him into The TARDIS, the ship's gonna hit the atmosphere."

...

"Any chance you could fly us out of here?" Mickey asked as he and Rose layed The Doctor on the floor as Elora stared at the scanner intently.

"Not the greatest idea Mickey, the Sycorax would sense the Artron energy."

"So, what do we do? Just sit here?"

"That's as good as it gets." Rose grumbled.

"Right, here we go. Nice cup of tea." Jackie said, placing a flask onto the console.

"Hmm, the solution to everything..." Rose replied sarcastically.

"Now, stop your moaning. I'll get the rest of the food."

"Tea." Mickey nodded, grinning as he walked round and looked at the scanner. "Like we're having a picnic while the world comes to an end. Very British. "Maybe we've surrendered." He suggested to Elora as she tried to tune in the scanner when it started to beep. "Maybe it's a distress signal."

"Fat lot of good that's gonna do." Rose said.

"Are you gonna be a misery all the time?"

"Yes."

"You should look at it from my point of view - stuck in here with your mum's cooking."

"Where is she?" Rose asked, looking around as she stood up and made her way to the door. "I'd better go and give her a hand. It might start raining missiles out there."

"Tell her anything from a tin, that's fine."

"Why don't you tell her yourself?"

"I'm not that brave."

"Oh, I don't know..." She grinned as she opened the door and stepped out. There was a sudden scream and Mickey and Elora bolted over to the doors, knocking the tea into the grating. "Get off! Get off me!" Rose screamed as Elora quickly shut the door of The TARDIS before she and Mickey were grabbed by a Sycorax. Elora looked up in horror to find The TARDIS had appeared on the Sycorax ship, filled with millions of them.

"Rose." They looked round to see Harriet Jones standing a few yards away. Rose stumbled towards her and Harriet pulled her into a hug. "Rose! I've got you. My Lord. My precious thing. The Doctor... is he with you?"

"No. We're all on our own." Rose whispered as the Sycorax leader stood before them.

"The yellow girl. She has the clever blue box. Therefore, she speaks for your planet." Alex, Harriet's assistant translated, looking at the small PDA she carried.

"But she can't." Harriet ignored.

"Yeah, but I can." Elora said, shrugging out of the Sycorax's hold and walking before the leader.

"Hello big fella." She grinned. "The Shadow Proclamation aren't going to be happy with you, are they now?"

Suddenl, the Sycorax all burt out laughing, making Elora raise her eyebrow at them.

"_You are very, very funny_." The leader replied. "_And now you're going to die._"

"Leave her alone!" Rose shouted.

"Don't touch her!" Mickey also shouted.

"_Did you think you were clever with your stolen words_?" The leader asked.

"Excuse me?" Elora scoffed. "Stolen, I learnt Sycoraxic just like you did as children.

"_Next to us you are but a wailing child._" It spat. "_If you are the best your planet can offer as a champion_... Then your world will be gutted... and your people enslaved."

"Oh you really are thick aren't you?" Elora laughed.

"How dare you-"

"Only problem is, you haven't noticed, have you?" She asked, walking backwards towards The TARDIS and grabbing the silver handles. "You're speaking English. The TARDIS translation circuits are working." She pushed the doors open to see The Doctor grinning at her.

"Did you miss me?" He asked, grinning as he stepped out of The TARDIS. The Sycorax leader roared in fury, lashing his whip at The Doctor who simply caught it and pulled it away, throwing it across the room. "You could have someone's eye out with that!" The Leader roared again, trying to attack The Doctor with his staff only for the Time Lord to snatch it and break it in half and throw it to the floor. "You just can't get the staff. Now, you, just wait. I'm busy." The Doctor looked at him with a look of warning before approaching Mickey. "Mickey! Hello!" He grinned before looking over at Harriet. "And Harriet Jones MP for Flydale North! Blimey, it's like 'This Is Your Life'!" He turned, grinning at Elora and Rose. "Tea! That's all I needed! A good cup of tea! Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin. Just the thing for healing the synapses... Now... first thing's first... be honest. How do I look?"

"Um... different." Rose said.

"Good different or bad different?"

"Just... different."

"Am I... ginger?"

"No, you're just sort of brown."

"Aww, I wanted to be ginger." He groaned, turning and walking across the room. "I've never been ginger." He turned and pointed at Rose. "And you, Rose Tyler, fat lot of good you were - you gave up on me- oh, that's rude. That's the sort of man I am now, am I? Rude. Rude and not ginger. You didn't give up on me though." The Doctor said, winking at Elora.

"I'm sorry - who is this?" Harriet asked.

"I'm the Doctor."

"He's the Doctor." Rose confirmed.

"But what happened to my Doctor?" Harriet asked. Or is it a title that's just passed on?

"I'm him. I'm literally him." He said, walking towards her. "Same man, new face - well, new everything."

"But you can't be."

"Harriet Jones. We were trapped in Downing Street, and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens... wasn't the war... it was the thought of your mother being on her own."

"Oh, my God." She gasped.

"Did you win the election?"

"Landslide majority." She grinned.

"If I might interupt." They all looked round at the Sycorax leader.

"Yes! Sorry! Hello, big fella!" The Doctor said.

"Who exactly are you?"

"Well. That's the question." Elora said, walking up to The Doctor.

"I demand to know who you are!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" The Doctor roared at him before relaxing. "See, there's the thing. I'm the Doctor, but beyond that, I- I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested. Am I funny? Am I sarcastic? Sexy?" He winked at Elora who smirked back at him. Right old misery? Life and soul? Right-handed? Left-handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob. And how am I gonna react when I see this?" Elora followed his gaze up a few steps where a big red button sat. "A great big threatening button." He laughed, pulling Elora up the steps with him. "A Great Big Threatening Button Which Must Not Be Pressed Under Any Circumstances. Am I right? Let me guess, it's some sort of control matrix? Hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it?" He bent down and opened up a small door to find the controls underneath with blood covering it. "And what've we got here? Blood?" He dipped his finger in it and tasted it. "Yeah, definitely. Blood. Human blood. A Positive. With just a dash of iron." He waggled his tongue and stood back up again. "Ahh. But that means... blood control- Blood control! Oh! I haven't seen blood control for years!" He grinned at Elora. "You're controlling all the A Positives! Which leaves us with a great big stinking problem. 'Cos... I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop. So if I see a Great Big Threatening Button Which Should Never Ever Be Pressed... then I just wanna do this." He whacked the button.

"No!" Rose and Harriet shouted, making The Doctor and Elora share a look of confusion.

"You killed them!" Alex gasped.

"What do you think, big fella? Are they dead?" Elora asked.

"We allow them to live." The leader said bitterly.

"Allow?" The Doctor laughed. "You've no choice! I mean, that's all blood control is. Cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis - you can hypnotise someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis, you can't hypnotise them to death. Survival instinct's too strong."

"Blood control was just one form of conquest. I can summon the armada and take this world by force."

"Well, yeah, you could, yeah, you could do that - of course you could. But why? Look at these people." He walked round and leant against one of the rocks in the ship, gesturing down at Rose, Alex, Harriet and Mickey. "These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet and blinking step into the sun. There is more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than- no, hold on..."

"That's the Lion King." Elora said.

The Doctor nodded, "But the point still stands. Leave them alone!"

"Or what?" The leader asked.

"Or..." He grabbed a sword from one of the Sycorax and ran past into the empty floor space, looking back up at the Leader, raising it in the air. "I challenge you." They all burst out laughing. "Oh, that struck a chord. Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?"

"You stand as this world's champion." The leader said, approaching him and withdrawing his sword.

"Thank-you. I've no idea who I am, but you just summed me up. So - you accept my challenge? Or are you just a cranak pel casacree salvak?" The leader hissed at him as they knelt by their swords.

"For the planet?"

"For the planet." They both stood up and began to fight. Elora rolled her eyes and walked back to Rose as The Doctor ran up a flight of stairs and whacked a button on the wall. "Bit of fresh air?" Everyone ran out after him as Elora groaned, shaking her head before following. By the time she'd got out there, The Doctor was standing up, with only one hand. "You cut my hand off." He gasped.

"YAH! Sycorax!" The leader cheered.

"And now I know what sort of man I am. I'm lucky. 'Cos quite by chance... I'm still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle. Which means I've got just enough residual cellular energy... to do this." He held up his stump of an arm as his hand grew back.

"Witchcraft."

"Time Lord." Elora taunted as Rose grabbed one of the Sycorax's swords.

"Doctor!" She shouted, throwing it to him. The Doctor span round and grabbed it before facing the Sycorax.

"Oh, so I'm still the Doctor, then?" He asked.

"No arguments from me!"

"Wanna know the best bit? This new hand... It's a fightin' hand!" The Doctor ran forward and jabbed the Leader in the stoumach, making it fall to the edge of the of the cliff balcony. The Doctor walked forward and pointed his sword under it's throat. "I win."

"Then kill me." The leader replied.

"I'll spare your life if you'll take this champion's command: leave this planet, and never return. What do you say?"

"Yes."

"Swear on the blood of your species." The Doctor spat.

"I swear."

"There we are, then!" He jabbed the sword into the ground and turned around. "Thanks for that! Cheers, big fella!"

"Bravo!" Harriet cheered.

"Very good." Elora said, approaching The Doctor.

"Yeah! Not bad for a man in his jim-jams!" The Doctor shrugged. "Very Arthur Dent. Now, there was a nice man. Hold on, what have I got in here?" He reached into his pocket and took out a satsuma. "A satsuma. Ah, that friend of your Jackie's - he does like his snacks doesn't he? But doesn't that just sum up Christmas?" They began to walk towards the door as The Doctor rolled it in his hands. "You go through all those presents and right at the end, tucked away at the bottom, there's always one stupid old satsuma. Who wants a satsuma?" Behind them, the Sycorax leader got to his feet and grabbed the sword before running towards them. Without turning around, The Doctor lobbed the satsuma at a switch on the side of the swith, making the ground crumble and the Leader fall off the side, plummeting to the Earth. "No second chances. I'm that sort of a man."

...

"By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time." Elora ordered as they stood outside The TARDIS. "And when go you back to the stars and tell others of this planet... when you tell them of its riches - its people - its potential. When you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this: It - is - defended." A blue light surrounded them and they reappeared in a everyday street.

"Where are we?" Rose asked.

"We're just off Bloxom Road. We're just round the corner, we did it!" Mickey cheered.

"Wait a minute... wait a minute..." The Doctor said as they watched the ship fly away.

"Go on, my son! Oh, yeah!"

"Yeah! Don't come back!" Rose cheered, jumping on Mickey's back.

"It is defended!"

"My Doctor." Harriet said, hugging The Doctor.

"Prime Minister." The Doctor replied.

They pulled out of the hug, "Absolutely the same man. Are there many more out there?"

"Oh, not just Sycorax." Elora nodded. "Hundreds of species. Thousands of them. And the human race is drawing attention to itself. Every day you're sending out probes and messages and signals - this planet's so noisy. You're getting noticed... more and more. You'd better get used to it."

"Rose!" Jackie gasped as she appeared, running down the street.

"Oh! Talking of trouble...!" The Doctor muttered to Elora as Jackie came running towards them.

"Oh, my God! You did it, Rose! Oh!" She said, hugging Rose.

"You did it too! It was the tea! Fixed his head!" Rose said.

"That was all I needed - cup o' tea." The Doctor nodded.

"I said so!" Jackie gasped. "Is it him, though? Is it really the Doctor?" Her gaze quickly caught Harriet. "Oh, my God! It's the bleeding Prime Minister!"

"Come here, you." The Doctor grinned, pulling everyone into a hug. Suddenly, five green laser beams appeared in the sky, shooting the spaceship. They all gapsed and looked up as The Doctor stared darkly at Harriet, walking towards her.

"What is that? What's happening?" Rose asked.

"That was murder." The Doctor snapped.

"That was defence. It's adapted from alien technology. A ship that fell to Earth ten years ago." Harriet said blankly.

"But they were leaving."

"You said yourself, Doctor. They'd go back to the stars and tell others about the Earth. I'm sorry, Doctor, but you're not here all the time. You come and go. It happened today - Mr Llewellyn and the Major. They were murdered. They died right in front of me while you were sleeping. In which case - we have to defend ourselves."

"Britain's Golden Age." He scoffed.

"It comes with a price."

"I gave them the wrong warning. I should've told them to run - as fast as they can, run and hide because the monsters are coming: the human race."

"Those are the people I represent. I did it on their behalf."

"Then I should've stopped you."

"What does that make you, Doctor? Another alien threat?"

"Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones." He snapped. "'Cos I'm a completely new man. I could bring down your Government with a single word."

"You're the most remarkable man I've ever met. But I don't think you're quite capable of that."

"No, you're right. Not a single word. Just six."

"I don't think so."

"Six words."

"Stop it!"

"Six." He stared at her a few moments before walking up to Alex and whispering in his ear before walking off, being followed by Mickey, Rose, Jackie and Elora.

...

"I like it." Elora nodded at the Doctor as he observed his brown suit in the mirror as she sat on the spiral staircase.

"I've realised who you are." The Doctor grinned, looking at her.

"Nearly Doctor Elora Johannson of the Luna University?" She asked sarcastically.

"You're my Equal!"

Elora's face dropped. "You're mental!"

"But you are!"

"I'm not a Time Lord!"

"And?"

"You're delusional." She laughed, walking towards him and placing a kiss on his forehead.

"I'll prove it to you, that you are, ok." Elora sighed, shaking her head, he wasn't doing this to her.

"We've gotta have Christmas dinner first."

"Oh Christmas." He laughed, pulling her into a hug. He sighed and they stayed glued to each other in a comfortable silence for a while. "If I could of saved him, I would."

"I know." Elora replied softly.

"I know you'll make him proud."

"I'm sorry I tried to kill you."

"It's ok." The Doctor laughed, pulling back a bit to look her in the eyes. "I'll forgive you as long as you promise not to try and sell me."

"Shutup." She laughed, shaking her head. "So where first?"

"Well, after Christmas is over, I was thinking New Earth?"

"New Earth, new Doctor, I like it." She grinned.

**A/N - Woo, new summary is going up guys, outfit is in the description, please review!**


	7. New Earth

**A/N - Apologies for the slow update, I found this chapter really hard to write! Also just to let everyone know, I've started a Torchwood story with drabbles about Elora reflected from Jack: times he remembers her, things people say that remind him of her, stuff like that. It's called I Fell Out Of The Stars, Protecting You. You guys should check it out! But enjoy this chapter and please review!****  
**

The Doctor bounded towards the TARDIS doors with a grin before pulling one open, sticking his head out and looking around the spaceship docking to the Luna University.

"Hello Doctor." He looked to his right to see Elora leaning against The TARDIS with one leg bent with the foot flat against the door, smirking at him.

"Hello _Doctor_," The Doctor replied with a grin, looking her up and down. "Like the dress." He said, nodding at her short red dress with a white collar, taking the black graduation cap off her head, flicking the tassel a couple of time before popping it into his own head. She grinned at him before pushing past him and into The TARDIS. The Doctor turned and shut the door, took off the cap and flung it onto the console. It landed with a sweep on one of the levers, as Elora pulled the lever next to it, pulling round the scanner.

"Where's Rose?" She asked.

"At home, told her I'd only be a minute." The Doctor said as he began to run around the console.

...

"So, where are we going?" Rose asked as The Doctor and Elora pulled at the controls.

"Further than we've ever gone before." The Doctor grinned.

...

The three of them stepped out onto a grassy field upon a cliff, over looking a beach and a big white building with cars flying above their heads. The Doctor pulled on his coat as Rose stared out in awe.

!It's the year five billion and twenty three... we're in the galaxy M87, and this..." The Doctor said, staring out at the beauty.

"This is New Earth." Elora finished with a grin.

"That's just... that's..." Rose whispered before bursting out laughing with wonder.

"Not bad. Not bad at all!" The Doctor nodded.

"That's amazing. I'll never get used to this. Never. Different ground beneath my feet!" She began to jump up and down in excitement. "Different sky...! What's that smell?" Elora looked around before bending down and yanking some grass out of the ground and holding it up to her.

"Apple grass." Elora shrugged.

"Apple grass...!"

"Yeah, yeah!"

"That's beautiful!" She grinned at Elora and The Doctor. "Oh, I love this. Can I just say..." She linked a each arm with The Doctor and Elora. "Travelling with you... I love it."

"Me too." The Doctor laughed. "Come on!" He grabbed her hand as Rose grabbed Elora before The Doctor pulled the two women off.

...

"So, the year five billion... the sun expands, the Earth gets roasted." The Doctor explained. He looked across the field as he and Rose layed next to each other, kneeling up on their elbows and looking out. The Doctor looked to his right, watching as Elora quickly wrote everything he was saying on a note book.

"That was our first date." Rose said with a grin.

"We had chips!" He giggled. "So anyway, planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up... oh, yeah, they get all nostalgic... big revival movement... but find this place! Same size as the Earth... same air... same orbit... lovely! Call goes out, the humans move in!"

"What's the city called?" Elora asked, not bothering to look up from her notebook.

"New New York."

She stopped suddenly, looking up at The Doctor with a frown. "Oh, come on."

"It is! It's the City of New New York!" He paused, thinking for a second. "Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original. So that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York." He said, looking back to Rose as he spoke to the both of them. "What?"

"You're so different." Rose said.

"New New Doctor."

"So," Rose said as they all got up. Elora folded up her notebook and stuffed it into The Doctor's pocket as he put it back ok. "Can we go and visit New New York... so good they named it twice?"

"Well... I thought we might go there first." He nodded over at a big white building in the distance with a green crescent moon on the side of it.

"Why? What is it?"

"Some sort of hospital."

"Green moon on the side... that's the universal symbol for hospitals." Elora said as The Doctor took out his psychic paper and held it between his two companions so they could read it.

"I got this. A message on the psychic paper." _Ward 26... Please Come_ "Someone wants to see me." He shrugged, stuffing it back into his pocket.

"Hmm! And I thought we were just sight-seeing." Rose said. "Come on then! Let's go and buy some grapes."

...

"Bit rich coming from you." Rose scoffed at the two of them.

"I can't help it! I don't like hospitals... they give me the creeps!" The Doctor said as Elora nodded in agreement.

"Very smart." Rose said, looking around the white hospital. "Not exactly NHS."

"No shop. I like the little shop!"

"I thought this far in the future, they'd have cured everything."

"The human race moves on, but so do the viruses." Elora sighed. "It's an ongoing war." She smiled at a cat nurse as she walked past them, nodding politely.

"They're cats." Rose said, pointing back as the nurse walked past.

"Now, don't stare..." The Doctor said quietly. "Think what you look like to them, all..." He looked her up and down. "Pink and yellow. That's where I'd put the shop!" He pointed over her shoulder. "Right there!" Elora nodded at him in approval as the two of them stepped into the lift.

"Ward 26, thanks!" Elora called out as the lift doors shut.

"Hold on! Hold on!" Rose shouted as she ran to the lift only for the doors to shut on her.

"Oh, too late... we're going up." The Doctor called through.

"It's all right, there's another lift." She called back.

"Ward 26. And watch out for the disinfectant."

"Watch out for what?"

"The disinfectant!" Elora shouted loudly.

"The what?"

"The di... oh, you'll find out." She muttered.

...

"Nice place." The Doctor muttered as he and Elora were guided through Ward 26 by Sister Jatt. "No shop, downstairs. I'd have a shop. Not a big one... just a shop. So people can shop."

"The hospital is a place of healing." Sister Jatt said, suprised.

"A shop does some people the world of good. Not me. Other people..." He shrugged as they began to walk past some of the patients.

"The Sisters of Plentitude take a lifelong vow to help. And to mend." The three of them passed a bed holding an extremely fat man, The Duke of Manhattan, looking like he was about to turn to stone with a prim looking woman, Frau Clovis, sitting next to him.

"Excuse me!" Frau exclaimed, approaching them. "Members of the public may only gaze upon the Duke of Manhattan with written permission from the Senate of New New York."

"That's Petrifold Regression, right?" Elora asked, nodding at the Duke.

"I'm dying, miss. A lifetime of charity and abstinence. And it ends like this." The Duke sighed.

"Any statements made by the Duke of Manhattan may not be made public without official clearance." Frau hissed.

"Frau Clovis!" The Duke gasped. Frau rushed to his side and he grabbed her hand. "I'm so weak!"

"Sister Jatt! A little privacy, please!" Sister Jatt nodded and lead The Doctor and Elora away.

"He'll be up and about in no time." Sister Jatt commented.

"I doubt it." The Doctor said. "Petrifold Regression? He's turning to stone. There won't be a cure for... oh... a thousand years? He might be up and about, but only as a statue..."

"Have faith in the sisterhood. But is there no one here you recognize?" Suddenly, The Doctor's eye was caught by something on the other side of the room. "It's rather unusual to visit without knowing the patient."

"No. I think I've found him." The Doctor said, smiling slowly.

"Is that..." Elora whispered as they walked forward slowly. "It's the Face of Boe.

"Novice Hame... if I can leave this gentleman in your care?" Sister Jatt asked the nurse sitting next to the Face of Boe.

"Oh, I think my friend got lost." The Doctor said, spinning round and looking back at Sister Jatt. "Uh... Rose Tyler. Could you ask at reception?"

"Certainly, sir." She nodded, walking off. The Doctor turned back to the Face of Boe and watched as Elora sat down in front of the Face of Boe, crossed her legs, placed a hand on his glass tank and listened to him hum in her mind.

"I'm afraid the Face of Boe's asleep." Novice Hame said gently. "That's all he tends to do these days. Are you a friend, or...?"

"We met just the once on Platform One." The Doctor sighed. "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm so sorry. I thought you knew. The Face of Boe is dying."

"Of what?" Elora asked, looking back at the cat nurse.

"Old age." Hame replied. "The one thing we can't cure. He's thousands of years old. Some people say millions. Although, that's impossible."

"Oh, no... I like impossible." The Doctor said with a smile. He knelt down next to Elora and put his hand on the tank. "I'm here. I look a bit different, but it's me... it's the Doctor..."

...

"You ok?" The Doctor asked as he passed Elora and Novice Hame a glass of water each.

"That's very kind. But there's no need." Novice Hame said.

"You're the one working." He sighed, walking towards the window and leaning against window sill.

"There's not much to do. Just maintain his smoke. And I suppose I'm company. I can hear him singing, sometimes. In my mind... such ancient songs..."

"Are we the only visitors?" Elora asked.

Hame nodded, "The rest of Boe-kind became extinct. Long ago. He's the only one left. Legend says that the Face of Boe has watched the universe grow old." The Doctor smiled. "There's all sorts of superstitions around him. One story says that just before his death, the Face of Boe will impart his great secret. That he will speak those words only to one like himself."

"What does that mean?"

"It's just a story." She shrugged.

"Tell the rest."

"It's said he'll talk to a wanderer. To the lost girl, without a home. The woman who revolved his life. The woman he revolved his life _around_, in the end. The lonely goddess."

...

"Didn't think I was going to make it!" The Duke cheered as Elora and The Doctor approached him. "It's that man and woman again!" He said with glee, nodding at The Doctor and Elora. "He's my good luck charm! Come in! Don't be shy!"

"Any friendship expressed by the Duke of Manhattan does not constitute a form of legal contract." Frau commented.

"Winch me up." The Duke instructed, sticking his thumb up at The Doctor as Frau pressed a button on a remote, making the bed lift up. "Ah! Look at me! No sign of infection!"

"Champagne, sir? Ma'am?" A waiter standing next to them holding a tray of champagne asked.

"No thanks." The Doctor denied as well as Elora shaking her head politely. "Uh... you had Petrifold Regression, right?"

"That being the operative word!" The Duke said happily. "Past tense! Completely cured."

"But that's impossible." Elora frowned as Matron Casp appeared beside them.

"Primitive species would accuse us of magic, but it's merely the tender application of science." The cat nurse shrugged.

"How on Earth did you cure him?" The Doctor asked.

"How on New Earth, you might say."

"What's in that solution?" Elora asked, nodding at the solution drip.

"A simple remedy."

"Then tell me what it is." The Doctor said sternly.

"I'm sorry. Patient confidentiality. I don't believe we've met. My name is Matron Casp."

"I'm the Doctor, and this is Doctor Elora Johannson."

"I think you'll find that we're the Doctors here."

"Matron Casp... you're needed in intensive care." Sister Jatt called over from the other end of the ward.

"If you would excuse me." Matron Casp said before turning and leaving.

...

"There you are!" The Doctor exclaimed as Rose swaggered onto the ward. "Come and look at this patient!" He took her arm and pulled her over to Elora who was inspecting a patient whose skin was completely red, wearing The Doctor's glasses.

"Marconi's Disease." Elora said to Rose, taking off the glasses and handing them back to The Doctor. "Should take years to recover. Two days. I've never seen anything like it... they've invented a cell washing cascade... it's amazing. Their medical science is way advanced. And this one!" She led them over to another bed holding a man who was completely white. "Pallidome Pancrosis. Kills you in ten minutes, and he's fine!"

The Doctor waved cheerily at the many before hissing, "I need to find a terminal. I've got to see how they do this." They began to walk off with Rose following, walking rather differently. "Because if they've got the best medicine in the world... then why's it such a secret?"

"I can't Adam and Eve it." Rose said oddly, making the three of them stop.

"What's... what's with the voice?" The Doctor asked in confusion.

"Oh, I don't know... just larking about New Earth... New me..." She said slowly, looking him up and down.

"Well, I can talk. New New Doctor."

"Mmm... aren't you just..." Suddenly, she grabbed him by the face and planted a smacking kiss on his lips. Elora's jaw dropped and she watched in shock before Rose pulled away breathlessly. "T... terminal's this way." She said before walking off.

"Yep... still got it..." The Doctor said, slightly high-pitched before looking at Elora. "You alright?" She shut her mouth and looked down at the floor, hurt, before following after Rose. "Elora?" He called after her.

...

"Nope..." The Doctor said as the three of them looked round the white screen. "Nothing odd... surgery... post-op... nano-dentistry... no sign of a shop... they should have a shop."

"No, it's missing something else." Rose frowned. "When I was downstairs, those Nurse / Cat / Nuns were talking about Intensive Care. Where is it...?"

"You're right, well done." Elora nodded as The Doctor took his sonic out and soniced the screen.

"Why would they hide a whole department? It's gotta be there somewhere. Search the sub-frame." The Doctor and Elora shared a concerned look.

"What if the sub-frame's locked?" He asked carefully.

"Try the installation protocol..."

"Yeah, course. Sorry. Hold on." The Doctor pulled back as the wall suddenly moved down to reveal a secret corridor behind it. Rose grinned and walked straight through as The Doctor and Elora shared as look before following. "Intensive Care. Certainly looks intensive."

The three of them went down some metal steps into Intensive Care to find themselves in a huge cavernous chamber, looking upon row and row of green doors. The Doctor walked along one of the rows and opened a door with the sonic screwdriver. The door swung open and a man, covered in boils and surrounded by smoke looked back at them.

"That's disgusting." Rose said, wriggling her nose as The Doctor and Elora stared back, horrified. "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." The Doctor said with regret as he shut the door gently and opened another to find a woman looking exactly the same to the man prior.

"What disease is that?" Rose asked.

"All of them." Elora said quietly in disgust. "Every single disease in the galaxy, they've been infected with everything."

"What about us? Are we safe?"

"The air's sterile. Just don't touch them." The Doctor said, shutting the door over before turning, leaning over the railing, looking upon the rows of doors.

"How many patients are there?"

"They're not patients."

"But they're sick."

"They were born sick." Elora spat. "They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick."

"Lab rats." The Doctor said angrily. "No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A Human farm."

"Why don't they just die?"

"Plague carriers. The last to go."

"It's for the greater cause." They span round to see Novice Hame appear at the end of the hallway.

"Novice Hame. When you took your vows, did you agree to this?" Elora asked.

"The Sisterhood has sworn to help."

"What, by killing?" The Doctor shouted.

"But they're not real people. They're specially grown. They have no proper existence."

"What's the turnover?" The Doctor asked, advancing towards her. "Hm? Thousand a day? Thousand the next? Thousand the next? How many thousand? For how many years? How many?"

"Mankind needed us." Hame begged. "They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope. We did try. We tried everything. We tried using clone-meat and bio-cattle... but the results were too slow. So the sisterhood grew its own flesh. That's all they are. Flesh."

"These people are alive."

"But think of those Humans out there... healthy... and happy, because of us."

"If they live because of this, then life is worthless."

"But who are you to decide that?"

The Doctor stepped forward, "I'm the Doctor. And if you don't like it... if you want to take it to a higher authority, then there isn't one. It stops with me."

"Just to confirm..." Rose said, peering over The Doctor's shoulder. "None of the Humans in the city actually know about this?"

"We thought it best not..."

"Hold on." Elora said firmly. "I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. But one thing I can't understand... what have you done to Rose?"

"I don't know what you mean." Novice Hame said.

The Doctor went to open his mouth to say something only for Elora to put her hand up to interrupt him. "And I'm being very, very calm. You wanna beware of that... very, very calm. And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Rose's head, I want it reversed."

"We haven't done anything."

"I'm perfectly fine." Rose said.

"These people are dying, and Rose would care." The Doctor said.

"Oh, all right, clever clogs." She grabbed The Doctor's shoulder and the hem of Elora's dress, spinning them round to face her. "Smarty pants." She grabbed The Doctor's tie and stroked down one side of Elora's hair.

"What's happened to you?"

"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out."

"Who are you?"

Rose stood up on her tip toes and leaned in between both of their heads. "The Last Human." She whispered.

"Cassandra?" The Doctor asked in shock, pulling away.

"Wake up and smell the perfume." She pulled a tube of perfume out of her cleavage and squirted it in both of their faces, making them keel over.

...

The Doctor's eyes flew open to find himself inside one of the cells of Intensive Care, nose to nose with Elora. Elora let our a small yelp as The Doctor stared at her.

"You're"

"What?" The Doctor whispered.

"Hand." He looked down to see his hand wrapped round the back of Elora's thigh, under her dress.

"Sorry." He muttered, pulling his hand away with a blush. "Let us out! Let us out!" He shouted before Rose's figure appeared in front of the door to the cell.

"Aren't you lucky there was a spare?" She asked mockingly. "Standing room only."

"You've stolen Rose's body."

"Over the years, I've thought of a thousand ways to kill you, Doctor. And now, that's exactly what I've got. One thousand diseases. They pump the patients with a top-up every ten minutes. You've got about... three minutes left. Enjoy."

"Just let Rose go, Cassandra." Elora begged.

"I will! As soon as I've found someone younger and... less common... then I'll junk her with the waste. Now hushaby! It's showtime." She turned and walked off.

"What do we do?" Elora asked.

"Well-" The Doctor began before the doors swung open and Elora fell backwards. The Doctor lunged forwards and pulled her back by the waist before she dropped to the floor before they both noticed all the other cell doors opening and the infected people also stepping out.

"What've you done?" The Doctor yelled, letting Elora stand before grabbing her hand.

"Gave the system a shot of adrenaline, just to wake 'em up." Rose grinned. "See ya!" She turned and ran off with Chip following her.

"Don't touch them!" The Doctor shouted at her before turning back to the nurses. "Whatever you do, don't touch!" He called to them before Elora pulled him by the hand after Rose.

Rose screamed as she, the Doctor, Elora and Chip ran for their lives along the row as the infected people started to leave their cells. The four of them paused for a moment and looked back, watching all the zombies break out of their cells.

"Oh, my God..." Rose said.

"What the hell have you done?" Elora gasped.

"It wasn't me!"

"One touch and you get every disease in the world, and I want that body safe, Cassandra!" The Doctor demanded. "We've gotta go down!"

"But there's thousands of them!" Rose gasped as the zombies began to advance towards them.

"Run! Down! Down! Go down!" The four of them ran down the stairs from the zombies. "Keep going! Go down!" They kept running before they burst through a door into a cellar. Rose ran over to the lift, frantically trying to open it. "No, the lifts have closed down. That's the quarantine, nothing's moving."

"This way!" She turned and ran the other way with The Doctor and Elora on her heel, just dodging more of the zombies. The Doctor looked back at Chip let out a whimper.

"Someone will touch him!" He said as went to go after Chip.

Rose grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Leave him! He's just a clone thing, he's only got a half life... come on!"

"Mistress!" Chip called after her as Rose ran off with Elora chasing after her.

"I'm sorry, I can't let her escape!" The Doctor called back before running after Rose and Elora.

...

Elora slammed the door of the room Cassandra had been hiding in as Rose ran to the door at the other side of the room, pulled it open to find more zombies before slamming it again.

"We're trapped!" She gasped, turning back to look at Elora and The Doctor. "What're we going to do?"

"Well, for starters, you're going to leave that body." The Doctor said angrily, gesturing at the psychograft with his sonic screwdriver. "That psychograft is banned on every civilized planet! You're compressing Rose to death."

"But I've got nowhere to go. My original skin's dead."

"Not our problem." Elora scoffed. "You can float as atoms in the air. Now, get out." She threatened as The Doctor raised his sonic at her. "Give her back to us."

"You asked for it." Rose shrugged before a cloud of light leapt from her body and into The Doctor's

"Blimey, my head..." Rose muttered before looking over at Elora. "Where'd she go...?" Elora stepped away from The Doctor, towards Rose as The Doctor looked up.

"Oh, my. This is... different." The Doctor said rather camply.

"Cassandra?"

"Goodness me, I'm a man. Yum. So many parts! And hardly used..." The Doctor began to wiggle around. "Ah.. ah ! Two hearts! Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!"

"Get out of him."

"Ooh, he's slim." He said, running a hand down his body. "And a little bit foxy." He raised an eyebrow at Rose. "You've thought so too. I've been inside your head..." Rose stared back sheepishly as Elora looked at the ground awkwardly. "You've been looking... you like it." Suddenly, the zombie people burst through the door, making all three of them jump. "What do we do? What would he do? The Doctor... What the hell would he do?!" He cried frantically as Rose span round and noticed a ladder.

"Ladder... we've gotta get up." The Doctor pushed past both Rose and Elora to get to ladder.

"Out of the way, girlies!" The three of them quickly climbed up the ladder.

"If you get out of the Doctor's body, he can think of something." Rose said as they kept climbing through the stairwell with zombies following.

"Yap yap yap... God, it was tedious inside your head. Hormone City."

"We're gonna die if..." Suddenly she screamed out as Matron Casp grabbed her ankle. "Get off!"

"All our good work! All that healing!" Matron shouted at her. "The good name of the Sisterhood... you have destroyed everything!"

"Go and play with a ball of string." The Doctor muttered.

"Everywhere... disease! This is the Human World. Sickness!" Suddenly, boils covered her face as a diseased hand grabbed her ankle. She screamed out as she slipped from the ladder and fell down the shaft.

"Move!" Elora ordered as they began to climb again.

"Now what do we do?" The Doctor asked.

"Use the sonic screwdriver." Rose said. The Doctor took it out of his pocket, dangling it and wriggling his nose.

"You mean this thing?"

"Yes, I mean that thing."

"Well, I don't know how... that Doctor's hidden away all his thoughts."

"Cassandra, go back into me... the Doctor can open it. Do it!"

"Hold on tight." He said distastefully before leaping back into Rose. "Oh... oh, chavtastic again. Open it!"

"Not 'til you get out of her." The Doctor said threateningly, pointing his sonic at Rose as Elora rolled her eyes at the whole ordeal.

"We need the Doctor."

"I order you to leave her!" He shouted before she leapt back into The Doctor. "No matter how difficult the situation, there is no need to shout."

"Cassandra, get out of him!"

"But I can't go into you, he simply refuses... he's so rude."

"I don't care. Just do something." The Doctor looked down at Elora between him and Rose. "You leave Elora out of this!" The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I am so gonna regret this..." He said in disgust before leaping into one of the zombie women below them. The Doctor quickly soniced the lift, jumped in and pulled Rose and Elora up. "No you don't..." And as The Doctor sealed the doors, Cassandra jumped into Rose.

"That was your last warning, Cassandra!" The Doctor shouted, looking down at Rose staring into space on the floor.

"Inside her head..." She said quietly. "They're so alone... they keep reaching out, just to hold us... all their lives and they've never been touched." The Doctor held out a hand to Rose and pulled her up before the three of them walked off.

...

The three of them walked onto ward 26 to have Frau Clovis running towards them with a chair.

"We're safe!" The Doctor cried. "We're safe! We're safe. We're clean! We're clean! Look, look..." They all held out their hands in fear.

"Show me your skin." She demanded.

They began to flip over their hands and arms, showing her. "Look! Clean. Look... if we'd been touched, we'd be dead." Frau nodded and put the chair down.

"So, how's it going up here? What's the status?" Elora asked

"There's nothing but silence from the other wards. I think we're the only ones left. And I've been trying to override the quarantine." She began to fiddle with the small device in her hand, showing it to Elora as she walked over to her. The Doctor gave a small smile at Elora, always asserting the situation. "If I can trip a signal over to New New York, they can send a private executive squad."

"You can't do that. If they forced entry, they'd break quarantine."

"I am not dying in here." Frau said angrily.

"We can't let a single particle of disease get out... there is ten million people in that City, they'd all be at risk! Now, turn that off!" Elora said calmly.

"Not if it gets me out."

"All right, fine." Elora nodded, turning back to The Doctor. "So we have to stop you lot as well. Suits me. Rose. Novice Hame. Everyone! Excuse me your grace..." She nodded over at the Duke. "Get me intravenous solutions for every single disease. Move it!" Everyone began to run around apart from The Doctor, who raised an eyebrow at her. "I've got a plan." She said with a blush as The Doctor smirked at her. She grabbed a yellow rope and tied it around the Doctor and explained her plan whilst attaching the solutions onto it as they were handed to her.

"But that's genius." The Doctor said quietly in awe, staring at her.

Elora blushed, "I try my best."

"How's that? Will that do?" The Doctor asked, looking at all the solutions.

"I don't know! Will it do for what?" Rose asked as The Doctor opened the lift with the sonic. "The lifts aren't working."

"Not moving. Different thing." Elora said, peering down the shaft before moving backwards and taking a running jump, grabbing onto the rope. The Doctor nodded at her before doing the same thing, attaching the wrench onto the rope.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"We're going down!" The Doctor said cheerfully. "Come on!"

"Not in a million years."

"We need another pair of hands. What do you think ? If you're so desperate to stay alive... Why don't you live a little?" Rose looked back across the ward as more zombies emerged and with a squeal she jumped onto the both of them.

"You're completely mad. I can see why she likes you."

"Going down!" They began to whizz down the shaft, screaming before reaching the bottom. Elora jumped off first, grabbing one of the solutions off of The Doctor.

"Well, that's one way to lose weight." Rose said.

"Now, listen... when I say so, take hold of that lever." Elora said, pointing at the lever.

"There's still a quarantine down there, we can't..."

"Hold that lever!" She blinked before grabbing onto the lever. "I'm cooking up a cocktail. I know a bit about medicine myself." The Doctor began to hand Elora solutions as she ripped open the packets with her teeth before pouring them into the container that would usually hold the disinfectant. "Now, that lever's going to resist. But keep it in position." She said as The Doctor opened up a trap door beneath them. "Hold onto it with everything you've got."

"What about you?"

"We've got an appointment. The Doctors are in." The Doctor said before dropping down into the lift with Elora following. "Ready?" He asked. Elora nodded and he opened the lift door with the sonic. Inside the waiting room of the hospital sat masses of zombies, huddled in groups. Eventually, they spotted them and started to make their way towards them. "I'm in here, come on!"

"Don't tell them!" Rose gasped.

"Pull that lever!" Elora shouted up.

"Come and get us, come on! We're in here, come on!" The Doctor called out.

"Commence stage one... disinfection." The lift voice called through.

"Come on, come on." Elora called as the disinfectant came through the lift, soaking them and the people stumbling into the shower.

"All they wanna do is pass it on. Pass it on!" The Doctor called enthusiastically as the people began to pass on the medicine. He looked down and grinned at Elora. "Doctor Johannson, you're a star."

...

"You were supposed to be dying." Elora said, walking onto the ward with The Doctor and Rose following.

"There are better things to do today. Dying can wait." The Face of Boe said telepathically.

"Oh, I hate telepathy. Just what I need, a head full of big face." Rose said.

"Shh!" The Doctor hissed.

"I have grown tired with the universe, Doctors, but you have taught me to look at it anew." The Face of Boe said as Elora and The Doctor leaned down in front of the tank.

"There are legends you know, saying that you're millions of years old."

"There are? That would be impossible."

"Wouldn't it just? I got the impression... there was something you wanted to tell us..." Elora said with a smile.

"A great secret."

"So the legend says"

"It can wait."

"Oh, does it have to?" The Doctor frowned.

"We shall meet again, Doctors, for the last time... and the truth shall be told. Until that day..." And then he teleported away.

"That is enigmatic." The Doctor nodded. "That... that is... that is textbook enigmatic." He smiled at Elora before they stood up and turned back to Rose, who was examining her nails, completely ignoring everything. "And now for you."

"But... everything's happy. Everything's fine... can't you just leave me?" She asked.

"You've lived long enough. Leave that body and end it, Cassandra."

"I don't want to die!" She sobbed.

"No one does."

"Help me!"

"I can't."

Suddenly, Rose gasped as Chip ran in.

"Mistress!" He gasped.

"Ah! You're alive!"

"I kept myself safe. For you, mistress."

"A body... and not just that, a volunteer..."

"Don't you dare. He's got a life of his own." Elora warned her.

"But I worship the mistress!" Chip insisted. "I welcome her."

"You can't, Cassandra, you..." But she ignored her and leapt into Chip's body. Rose fell forward with a gasp and Elora and The Doctor both caught her before she dropped to the floor.

"You all right?" Elora asked as they both gently let her sit on the floor before turning back to Chip.

"Oh, sweet Lord. I'm a walking doodle." Chip said, observing his skin.

"You can't stay in there." The Doctor said firmly. "I'm sorry, Cassandra, but that's not fair. I can take you to the City. They can build you a skin tank and you can stand trial for what you've done."

"Well, that would be rather dramatic. Possibly my finest hour. And certainly my finest hat." He grinned, touching his hat lightly. "But I'm afraid we don't have time. Poor little Chip is only a half-life. And he's been through so much. His heart is racing so. He's failing. I don't think he's going to last..." Suddenly, his legs gave way and The Doctor and Elora lunged forward, supporting him.

"You all right?" Elora asked.

"I'm fine." He nodded. "I'm dying. But that's fine."

"We can take you to the City." The Doctor said.

"No, you won't. Everything's new on this planet. There's no place for Chip and me anymore. You're right, Doctor. It's time to die. And that's good."

...

The Doctor and Elora stepped into the TARDIS after taking one last look at Cassandra dying. The Doctor bounded up to the console as Elora shut the door. He pulled the scanner round and looked up at Elora.

"Rose is asleep." He said. She nodded back at him before walking up to the console and taking her graduation hat and plopping it back onto The Doctor's head with a grin. "I was thinking," The Doctor began. "Why don't we go ice skating? The last frost fairs on the Thames in 1814."

"Ok," Elora nodded, making her way up the steps to the corridors. "I'll go and wake Rose-"

"No, uh." The Doctor interrupted. Elora turned back round and frowned at him. "Just us."

"Just us?"

He looked up at her, blushing slightly. "Like a date, or, I don't mind, it's up to you-"

Elora pursed her lips together, smiling. "Ok." She nodded.

...

Elora giggled, slipping slightly as she got onto the ice with The Doctor following. He squeezed her hand as he pulled her round the rink with ease.

On the other side, outside the rink stood the 11th Doctor and River Song, watching them with glee.

"Happy Birthday Mels." The 11th Doctor said, putting his arm around her.

"You both look so different." River said.

The Doctor nodded, "Yep. Ooh, ooh, wait for it, first kiss-" They looked over as the 10th Doctor went flying.

The 10th Doctor slipped, pulling Elora with him. Elora let out a yelp as she fell on top of him, laughing. "You said you could skate!" She laughed.

"I can." The Doctor said, rubbing his head before noticing Elora was laying on top of him.

"Sorry, let me get off of you-" She went to get up, only for The Doctor to put his hand round the back of her head and kiss her. When he pulled back, she looked at him breathlessly. "I should get up."

The Doctor looked down, embarrassed. "Yes, sorry, of course, my apologies, I shouldn't have-"

"No." Elora interrupted. "It's not that, it's just, I'm lying on you, we've fallen over in a ice rink in 1814, it's just not appropriate." She grinned, getting up and pulling him with her.

"So," The Doctor said, putting his hands on her waist. "You didn't mind that?"

"No." She smirked. "You can even do it again if you like." The Doctor smiled at her and leaned in, kissing her.


	8. Tooth And Claw

The Doctor sighed, pulling the scanner round on the console as he checked the time on The TARDIS' night cycle. 4am, brilliant. He frowned slightly as there was a flashing red light in the corner of the console, signalling someone was awake. He zoomed in, using the TARDIS' CCTV to find Elora in the library before turning and leaving the control room.

...

The Doctor silently crouched down in front of Elora who was laying across the small sofa in the big library.

"Hi." The Doctor said quietly, putting his chin on the edge of the sofa as she stared back at him.

"Hi." She whispered back.

"What are you doing up?"

"I haven't slept in weeks." She frowned. "I thought you knew."

"No." The Doctor sighed, lifting his chin back up and pushing her hair back slightly.

"I psyhically can't. Not since Jack died. He didn't like sleeping alone, neither of us did, so we'd stay together. Cuddled up with together would keep away our bad dreams along with the hum of The TARDIS. Then he died and I just couldn't bare to go back into his room. When I sleep all I can hear is his screams. All I dream about is me running to the sound of his cries as the Daleks blasted into floor 500 before you pulled me back. Just that few seconds of memory, playing over and over again." She smiled softly at him and sat up.

"How about," The Doctor began, slightly flustered. "Second date?"

"Go on..." She smirked.

"1979?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, "1979?"

"A lot happens in 1979!"

Rose appeared in the doorway, "Sounds fun." She grinned, turning and walking off.

The Doctor groaned and placed a kiss to her forehead. "Sorry." He mumbled.

...

"What do you think of this?" Rose asked, showing The Doctor and Elora the short dungaree dress she was wearing. "Will it do?"

"In the late 1970s?" The Doctor asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "You'd be better off in a bin bag. Hold on, listen to this." He bunged a CD into The TARDIS console and 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick' by Ian Dury and the Blockheads blared out.

"Ian Dury and the Blockheads." Elora said, walking round the console. "Number One in 1979."

"You're a couple of Punks!" Rose laughed.

"It's good to be a lunatic-" The Doctor sung along.

"That's what you are. Two big old Punks with a bit of Rockabillly thrown in."

"Would you like to see him?"

"How'd you mean? In concert?"

"What else is a TARDIS for?" Elora snorted.

"I can take you to the Battle of Trafalgar..." The Doctor said. "The first anti-gravity Olympics... Caesar crossing the Rubicon... or... Ian Dury at the Top Rank, Sheffield, England, Earth, 21st November, 1979. What do you think?"

"Sheffield it is!" Rose grinned.

"Hold on tight." The Doctor said, pulling a lever on the console. They lurched forward as the TARDIS shuddered and span through the Vortex. The Doctor whacked the console with a hammer to the beat of the music, shouting.

"Stop!" Rose shouted. The movement stopped and they fell on the floor, laughing their heads off.

"1979. Hell of a year!" The Doctor laughed, jumping up and pulling both Rose and Elora to their feet before they bounded towards the doors.

"China invades Vietnam..." The Doctor said, pulling his jacket off one of the pillars and putting it on as he spoke. "The Muppet Movie! Love that film. Margaret Thatcher... urgh... Skylab falls to Earth... with a little help from me... nearly took off my thumb." The three of them stepped out of the door and Elora shut it behind them as The Doctor spoke. "I like my thumb. I need my thumb. I'm very attached to..." They grew silent suddenly, noticing they were surrounded by soldiers on all sides, guns raised before all in unison, put their hands up. "... my thumb. 1879."

"Same difference." Elora muttered sarcastically.

"You will explain your presence." The captain of the soldiers demanded. "And the nakedness of this girl." Elora frowned, looking down at the long strapless black dress she was wearing with flowers at the bottom. She looked at her shoulders, trying to work out how that made her naked before glancing over at Rose, realising the man was talking about Rose and not her.

"Are we in Scotland?" The Doctor asked, putting on a Scottish accent.

"How can you be ignorant of that?"

"Oh, I'm- I'm dazed and confused. I've been chasing this... this wee naked child over hill and over dale." He nodded to Rose. "In't that right, ya... timorous beastie?"

"Ooch, aye!" Rose said, putting on a terribly hilarious Scottish accent. "I've been oot and aboot."

"No, don't do that." Elora said quietly.

"Hoots mon!"

"No, really don't. Really." The Doctor whispered.

"Will you identify yourself, sir?" Captain Reynolds asked.

"I'm Doctor James McCrimmon. From the... Township of Balamory." The Doctor introduced. "Eh... I have my credentials, if I may..." He gestured towards his pocket and the Captain nodded. The three of them lowered their hands as The Doctor produced the psychic paper and showed it to the man. "As you can see, a Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. I trained under Doctor Bell himself."

"Let them approach." A posh, female voice came from the carriage.

"I don't think that's wise, ma'am." Captain Reynolds called back, eyeing The Doctor, Rose and Elora.

"Let them approach." The voice repeated. The Doctor gestured towards the carriage and the Captain sighed.

"You will approach the carriage. And show all due deference." The Doctor gave him a half hearted salute and the three of them approached the carriage. One of the footmen opened the door to reveal Queen Victoria.

"Rose, Elora - might I introduce her Majesty Queen Victoria." The Doctor said as Elora and Rose stared in shock. "Empress of India and Defender of the Faith."

"Rose Tyler, Ma'am." Rose curtseyed. "And my apologies... for being so naked." She laughed nervously.

"I've had five daughters. It's nothing to me." Queen Victoria said. "But you, Doctor... show me these credentials." The Doctor nodded, handing over the psychic paper and the Queen studied it for a moment. She looked up and handed it back to him, "Why didn't you say so immediately? It states clearly here that you have been appointed by the Lord Provost as my Protector... along with your wife." She peered at Elora with a small smile much to Rose's discomfort.

"Does it?" The Doctor frowned before looking up with a nod. "Yes, it does! Good! Good! Um.. then let me ask - why is Your Majesty travelling by road when there's a train all the way to Aberdeen?"

"A tree on the line."

"An accident?" Elora asked.

"I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Everything around me tends to be planned."

"An assassination attempt?" The Doctor suggested.

"What, seriously? There's people out to kill ya?" Rose asked.

"I'm quite used to staring down the barrel of a gun." Queen Victorica said calmly.

"Sir Robert MacLeish lives but ten miles hence." Captain Reynolds said as he sat atop his horse from behind them. "We'll send word ahead, he'll shelter us for tonight, then we can reach Balmoral tomorrow."

"This Doctor, his wife and this... timorous beastie will come with us."

"Yes, Ma'am. We'd better get moving - it's almost nightfall."

"Indeed. And there are stories of wolves in these parts. Fanciful tales intended to scare the children. But good for the blood, I think." She gave a confident smile. "Drive on!"

...

"It's funny though, 'cos you say 'assassination' and you just think of Kennedy and stuff." Rose said as the three of them walked through the field, behind the carriage. "Not her."

"1879 - she's had... oo... six attempts on her life?" Elora said. "And I'll tell you something else: we just met Queen Victoria!"

"I know!" Rose said excitedly.

"What a laugh!" The Doctor grinned.

"She was just sitting there!"

"Like a stamp."

"I want her to say..." She began to put on an affected upper-classed accent. "_We are not amused_. I bet you five quid I can make her say it."

"Well, if I gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of my privileges of traveller in time."

"... Ten quid?"

"Done."

...

One of the footmen opened the door of the carriage and helped Queen Victoria out as Sir Robert emerged from the front door of the Torchwood house and approached her, Father Angelo behind him.

"Your Majesty." Sir Robert said, bowing to her.

"Sir Robert." Queen Victoria nodded. "My apologies for the emergency. And how is Lady Isobel?"

"She's... indisposed, I'm afraid." He said nervously. "She's gone to Edinburgh for the season. And she's taken the cook with her - the kitchens are barely stocked... I wouldn't blame Your Majesty if you wanted to ride on."

The Doctor and Elora shared a look at the man who clearly wanted the Queen to stay away.

"Oh, not at all!" Queen Victoria said cheerfully. "I've had quite enough carriage exercise. And this is... charming. If rustic. It's my first visit to this house. My late husband spoke of it often. The Torchwood Estate. Now, shall we go inside?" Sir Robert nodded as Queen Victoria quickly glanced back at Rose. "And please excuse the naked girl."

"Sorry." Rose said quickly.

"She's a feral child." The Doctor said, returning to his Scottish accent. "I bought her for sixpence in old London Town. It was her or the Elephant Man, so..."

"Thinks he's funny but I'm so not amused." She looked pointedly at the Queen. "What do you think, Ma'am?"

"It hardly matters. Shall we proceed?" Queen Victoria said. Sir Robert nodded and they began to make their way into the house.

"So close." Elora laughed. "What's in there, then?" She asked, looking over at one of the soldiers carrying a wooden box.

"Property of the Crown." Captain Reynolds said. "You will dismiss any further thoughts, sir." Elora smirked as The Doctor pulled a face. "The rest of you go to the rear of the house. Assume your designated positions." The Doctor nodded to them and the three of them made their way into the house.

...

Sir Robert entered the Observatory with a big telescope in the middle, followed by the Queen, Rose, the Doctor, Father Angelo and two of bald men, who were household staff.

"This, I take it, is the famous Endeavour." Queen Victoria said.

"All my father's work." Sir Robert nodded. "Built by hand in his final years. Became something of an obsession - he spent his money on this rather than caring for the house or himself."

The Doctor smiled, "I wish I'd met him, I like him. That thing's beautiful - can I um...?" He gestured towards the telescope.

"Help yourself."

The Doctor, Rose and Elora moved forward to examine the telescope and the wheel next to it.

"What did he model it on?"

"I know nothing about it. To be honest, most of us thought him a little... shall we say, eccentric." Elora laughed at that. "I wish now I'd spent more time with him. And listened to his stories." He glanced over at the Queen.

"It's a bit rubbish." The Doctor muttered, peering through it, making Elora choke out a small laugh. "How many prisms has it got? Way too many. The magnification's gone right over the top, that's stupid kind of a—" He looked up at Elora. "Am I being rude again?" He whispered to her.

"Yep." Elora nodded.

"But it's pretty!" The Doctor said quickly as Elora took his hand. "It's very... pretty."

"And the imagination of it should be applauded." Queen Victoria said.

"Mm!" Rose said. "Thought you might disapprove, Your Majesty. Stargazing. Isn't that a bit fanciful? You could easily... not be amused, or something...? No?"

"This device surveys the infinite work of God." The Doctor, Elora and Rose shared an amused look. "What could be finer? Sir Robert's father was an example to us all. A polymath. Steeped in astronomy and sciences, yet equally well versed in folklore and fairytales."

"Stars and magic. I like him more and more." The Doctor said, wandering around the telescope with Elora doing the same on the other side.

"Oh, my late husband enjoyed his company." She turned to Rose. "Prince Albert himself was acquainted with many rural superstitions, coming as he did from Saxe Coburg."

"That's Bavaria." Elora said quietly to Rose.

"When Albert was told about your local wolf, he was transported." Queen Victoria said to Sir Robert.

"So, what's this wolf, then?" The Doctor asked.

"It's just a story." Sir Robert said.

"Then tell it."

Sir Robert looked round hastily. "It's said that-"

"Excuse me, sir." One of the bald household staff interupted. "Perhaps her Majesty's party could repair to their rooms. It's almost dark."

"Of course. Yes, of course."

"And then supper." Queen Victoria said. "And... could we find some clothes for Miss Tyler? I'm tired of nakedness."

"It's not amusing, is it?" Rose asked. Queen Victoria glanced around at her and decided to ignore the comment and turned back to Sir Robert.

"Sir Robert, your wife must've left some clothes. See to it. We shall dine at seven. And talk some more of this wolf. After all... there is a full moon tonight."

"So there is, Ma'am." Sir Robert said, bowing, as the Queen left the room followed by the others.

...

"Your companion begs an apology, Doctor, Mrs Smith." The bald man said as they all sat round the dining table. "Her clothing has somewhat delayed her."

"Oh, that's all right." The Doctor said. "Save her a wee bit of ham."

"The feral child could probably eat it raw." Queen Victoria commented.

"Very wise, Ma'am! Very witty!" Captain Reynolds laughed.

"Slightly witty, perhaps." Queen Victoria said, staring at him oddly. "I know you rarely get the chance to dine with me, Captain, but don't get too excited... I shall contain my wit in case I do you further injury."

"Yes, Ma'am. Sorry, Ma'am." He said meekly.

"Besides, we're all waiting on Sir Robert!" Elora grinned. "Come, Sir! You promised us a tale of nightmares."

"Indeed." Queen Victoria nodded. "Since my husband's death, I find myself with more of a taste for supernatural fiction."

"You must miss him." The Doctor said.

"Very much. Oh, completely. And that's the charm of a ghost story, isn't it? Not the scares and chills, that's just for children, but the... hope of some contact with the great beyond. We all want some message from that place... it's the Creator's greatest mystery that we are allowed no such consolation. The dead stay silent. And we must wait." She shrugged, shaking herself out of her thoughts and turning back to Sir Robert. "Come! Begin your tale, Sir Robert. There's a chill in the air. The wind is howling through the eaves. Tell us of monsters!"

"The story goes back three hundred years." Sir Robert began. "Every full moon, the howling rings through the valley. The next morning, livestock is found ripped apart and... devoured."

"Tales like this just disguise the work of thieves." Captain Reynolds said. "Steal a sheep and blame a wolf, simple as that."

"But sometimes a child goes missing." Sir Robert continued. "Once in a generation. A boy will vanish from his homestead."

"Are there descriptions of the creature?" Elora asked.

"Oh yes, Ma'am. Drawings and woodcarvings. And it's not merely a wolf. It's more than that. This is a man who becomes an animal."

The Doctor leant forward, intrigued, "A werewolf?" He asked.

"My father didn't treat it as a story. He said it was fact. He even claimed to have communed with the beast - to have learned its purpose." He sighed regretfully. "I should've listened." He glanced over at the bald man who was looking out of the window. "His work was hindered - he made enemies. There's a Monastery in the Glen of Saint Catherine. The Brethren opposed my father's investigations."

"Perhaps they thought his work ungodly." Queen Victoria suggested.

"That's what I thought. But now I wonder... what if they had a different reason for wanting the story kept quiet?" Elora looked up with a frown at the bald househald staff man looking out of the window, quietly chanting "lupus deus est" under his breath. She tapped The Doctor lightly on the arm and he looked over at the bald man. "What if they turned from God and worshipped the wolf?"

"And what if they were with us right now?" The Doctor asked.

And then the room erupted into chaos.

"What is the meaning of this?" Queen Victoria demanded as Captain Reynolds stood up and pointed a gun at Sir Robert.

"Explain yourself, Sir Robert!" He shouted.

"What's happening-"

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, they've got my wife." Sir Robert gasped out.

"Rose! Where's Rose? Where is she?!" Elora shouted at the chanting monk.

"Sir Robert - come on!" The Doctor said, running out of the room.

...

The Doctor kicked at the cellar door one last time and it came flying open to reveal a wolf in a cage and a bunch of prisoners cowering in the corner, including Rose. "Where the hell have you been?" Rose shouted.

The Doctor stared at the werewolf in awe as it grabbed hold of the bars of the cage. "Oh, that's beautiful!" He gasped.

"Get out!" Sir Robert shouted to his wife, Lady Isobel, pulling her by the hand and out of the cellar. The wolf began to break and bend the bars, throwing the cage of itself as Elora grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her out. She reached back in as the wolf began to howl, and pulled The Doctor out by his arm.

...

Everyone ran nervously through the kitchen and hallway as The Doctor soniced the handcuffs on Rose, "It could be any form of light modulated species triggered by specific wavelengths - did it say what it wanted?"

"The Queen, the Crown, the throne - you name it." Rose said.

There was a thumping sound from the direction of the cellar and The Doctor, Rose and Elora looked around. The Doctor ventured out into the corridor to investigate to see the wolf had managed to knock down the door and was stood at the other end of the corridor. The wolf and The Doctor stared at one another for a few moments before the werewolf growled and the Doctor ran back into the room, grabbing Rose and Elora's hands and pulled them behind the line of men with guns poised and ready.

"Fire!" The Steward shouted. They all shot at the wolf, who stumbled back a few steps. "Fire!" Rose flinched as they fired.

The room was covered in smoke and there was now no sign of the wolf.

"All right, you men, we should retreat upstairs, come with me." The Doctor said.

"I'll not retreat." The Steward insisted. "The battle's done. There's no creature on God's Earth that could survive such an assault."

"I'm telling you, come upstairs!"

"And I'm telling you, sir, that I will sleep well tonight with that thing's hide upon my wall." He strode across the room and looked down the corridor, checking for the wolf as The Doctor, Elora and Rose watched him. Apparently seeing nothing, he strode back looking mildly triumphant. "Must've crawled away to die-" Suddenly, he was lifted clean through the ceiling by the wolf and they could hear him being devoured.

"There's nothing we can do!" The Doctor said, pushing Rose and Elora out of the room.

...

The Doctor, Elora Rose and Sir Robert hurried into a room and The Doctor slammed the door behind them and locked it with his sonic screwdriver.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Sir Robert shouted before Queen Victoria appeared, running down the stairs.

"Sir Robert! What's happening?" She asked as The Doctor dashed off somewhere. "I heard such terrible noises."

"Your Majesty - we've got to get out. But what of Father Angelo? Is he still here?"

"Captain Reynolds disposed of him."

"The front door's no good," The Doctor said, rushing back. "It's been boarded shut. Pardon me, Your Majesty - you'll have to leg it out of a window." He gestured through a door and Queen Victoria nodded, head held high as they all followed into another upstairs room.

"Excuse my manners, Ma'am," Sir Robert said nervously. "But I shall go first, the better to assist Her Majesty's egress."

"A noble sentiment, my Sir Walter Raleigh." Queen Victoria nodded.

"Yeah, any chance you could hurry up?" The Doctor asked impatiently. Sir Rober climbed onto the window sill, only to immediatley dodge out of the way as a bullet came flying towards him. Elora bolted up to the window, glancing out at a line of Monks standing outside holding guns.

"I reckon the monkey boys want us to stay inside." Elora muttered.

"Do they know who I am?" Queen Victoria asked in shock.

"Yeah, that's why they want ya." Rose said nervously. "The wolf's lined you up for a... a biting."

"Now, stop this talk. There can't be an actual wolf." The words were no sooner out of her mouth before a howling rang through the house. They all span around, alarmed, and left the room hurriedly. They ran into a hallway to see the wolf battering on the door.

"What do we do?"

"We... run!" The Doctor said.

"Is that it?!"

"You got any silver bullets?" Elora laughed nervously.

"Not on me, no!"

"There we are then, we run. Your Majesty, as a Doctor, I recommend a vigourous jog." Both she and The Doctor began to jog on the spot to demonstrate.

"Good for the health. Come on!" The Doctor said in agreement, grabbing the Queen's hand and leading her from the room.

"Did she say she was a doctor?" Queen Victoria asked over her shoulder as they all ran as fast as they could up the staircase as the wolf broke through the door and chased after them.

"Come on! Come on!" Having reached the top of the stairs, they ran through the corridors with the wolf close on their tails. It was nearly upon them, ready to pounce when Captain Reynolds appeared out of nowhere, holding a gun. He shot at the wolf and the beast reeled backwards down the corridor. The Captain ducked behind the corridor where they others are standing, out of breath.

"I'll take this position and hold it." Captain Reynolds said. "You keep moving, for God's sake! Your Majesty - I went to look for the property, it was taken. The chest was empty."

"I have it. It's safe." Queen Victoria gulped.

"Then remove yourself, Ma'am. Doctor, you stand as Her Majesty's Protector. And you, Sir Robert - you're a traitor to the crown." He ended bitterly, cocking his gun.

"Bullets can't stop it!" The Doctor hissed.

"They'll buy you time. Now, run!" He positioned himself at the end of the corridor, gun held ready. Queen Victoria and Sir Robert started running in the opposite direction, followed by the Doctor and Elora, and finally by Rose. The Doctor, Elora, Sir Robert and Queen Victoria ran into the library as Rose stopped outside the door and watched as Captain Reynolds shot at the werewolf as it bounded down the corridor towards him, pounced upon him and then ripped him apart.

"Rose!" Elora shouted, running back out into the corridor and grabbing her wrist before pulling her into the library and slamming the door shut. She hugged the woman quickly as Sir Robert and The Doctor bounded round the room, barricading the door with chairs and bits of wood.

"Wait a minute, shh, shh, wait a minute..." The Doctor whispered as they all looked at the door nervously whilst the wolf howled into the silence. "It's stopped." He jumped up onto the chair and pressed his ear against the door. "It's gone." He whispered as footsteps padded around the outside of the room.

"Listen..." Rose said quietly as The Doctor climbed down from the chair as they listened to the wolf.

"Is this the only door?" Elora whispered.

"Yes." Sir Robert said. "No!" Both he and The Doctor dashed over to the other door and barricaded it shut.

"Shh!" Rose hissed before the footsteps finally stopped, padding away into the distance. "I don't understand. What's stopping it?"

"Something inside this room." The Doctor muttered as Sir Robert sat on one of the chairs barricading the door and put his head in his hands. "What is it? Why can't it get in?"

"I'll tell you what, though..." Elora said with a nervous laugh.

"What?"

"Werewolf...!"

"I know!" Elora gave another small laugh as they hugged each other tightly. "You all right?"

"I'm okay, yeah!" She gasped, pulling back and looking at him. "Werewolf in 1879, much better than 1979." She whispered, making The Doctor pout back at her.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am." Sir Robert said from behind them, making them look over. "It's all my fault. I should've sent you away. I tried to suggest something was wrong, I... thought you might notice. Did you think there was nothing strange about my household staff?"

"Well, they were bald, athletic..." The Doctor said. "Your wife's away, I just thought you were happy."

"I'll tell you what though, Ma'am, I bet you're not amused now." Rose said.

"Do you think this is funny?" Queen Victoria snapped angrily.

"No, Ma'am, I'm sorry." Rose replied meekly.

"What, exactly, I pray someone please - what exactly is that creature?"

"You'd call it a werewolf," The Doctor said, scratching his head.

"But technically it's a more of a lupine wavelength haemovariform." Elora finished.

"And should I trust you, sir?" Queen Victoria said, snapping her gaze to The Doctor. "You who change your voice so easily? What happened to your accent?"

"Oh... right, sorry-" The Doctor said in realisation.

"I'll not have it. No, sir - not you... not that thing... none of it. This is not my world." The Doctor stared back at her guiltily as Elora made her way towards the woodwork doors, touching a carving of mistletoe gently.

"Mistletoe..." She muttered before looking back at Sir Robert. "Sir Robert, did you father put that there?"

"I don't know, I suppose..." Sir Robert shrugged.

"On the other door, too... a carving wouldn't be enough... I wonder..." She quickly licked the door, making Rose frown and The Doctor grin. "Viscum album," She span round and looked back at them. "The oil of the mistletoe - it's been worked into the wood like a varnish! How clever was your dad? I love him!" She turned to Rose. "Powerful stuff, mistletoe. Bursting with lectins and viscotoxins."

"And the wolf's allergic to it?" Rose asked as The Doctor nodded at Elora, impressed.

"Well, it thinks it is." The Doctor said. "The monkey monk monks need a way of controlling the wolf, maybe they trained it to react against certain things."

"Nevertheless, that creature won't give up, Doctor," Sir Robert said, shaking his head. "And we still don't possess an actual weapon."

"Oh, your father got all the brains, didn't he?" Elora and The Doctor said in unison.

"Being rude again." Rose hissed.

"Good. We meant that one." They both said again.

The Doctor strode towards the bookshelves, "You want weapons?" He asked excitedly. "We're in a library. Books! Best weapons in the world." He put his glasses on and looked round with a look of confidence. "This room's the greatest arsenal we could have." He pulled some books off the shelf and threw some to Rose. "Arm yourself."

...

Rose, The Doctor, Elora and Sir Robert frantically flicked through books as they spoke over one another.

"Biology, zoology... there might be something on wolves in here..." Rose muttered.

The Doctor chucked her a book, "Hold on, what about this?"

"... some form of explosive..." Sir Robert said, looking down at the book he was holding.

"Hmm, that's the sort of thing." Elora said, catching everyone's attention. "Ooh..." She jumped down from the ladder and placed the book out on the table. "Look what your old dad found. Something fell to Earth." She pointed at the illustration on the page of a rock falling to Earth from the sky.

"A spaceship?" Rose asked as she and Sir Robert gathered around.

"A shooting star." Sir Robert said, beginning to read of the page. "'In the year of our Lord, 1540, under the reign of King James the Fifth, an almighty fire did burn in the pit.' That's the Glen of Saint Catherine just by the Monastery."

"But that's over three hundred years ago. What's it been waiting for?"

"Maybe just a single cell survived." The Doctor said. "Adapting slowly down the generations. It survived through the humans. Host after host after host."

"But why does it want the throne?" Sir Robert asked.

"That's what it wants." Rose said. "It said so, the... the Empire of the Wolf."

"Imagine it..." The Doctor began, "The Victorian Age accelerated... starships and missiles fueled by coal and driven by steam... leaving history devastated in its wake..."

Queen Victoria stood up sharply, "Sir Robert!" The man in question headed over to her. "If I am to die here..."

"Don't say that, Your Majesty." He said quickly.

"I would destroy myself rather than let that creature infect me. But that's no matter. I ask only that you find some place of safekeeping for something far older and more precious than myself." She began to open her bag.

"Hardly the time to worry about your valuables." The Doctor called over.

"Thank you for your opinion. But there is nothing more valuable than this." She took out of her back a giant diamond, the Koh-I-Noor, and held it in the palm of her hand.

"Is that the Koh-I-Noor?" Rose gasped as Elora frowned, not recognising it. Rose frowned as well, watching the other womans reaction.

"I'm from the 51st century, remember." She whispered, making Rose nod.

"Oh, yes... " The Doctor whispered as the three time travelers shuffled towards the diamond. "The greatest diamond in the world."

"Given to me as the spoils of war." Queen Victoria sighed. "Perhaps its legend is now coming true. It is said that whoever owns it must surely die."

"Well, that's true of anything if you own it long enough. Can I...?" He held out his hand and Queen Victoria placed the diamond in his hand. He pushed his glasses down his nose, looking at it closely. "That is so beautiful."

"How much is that worth?" Rose asked, staring at it in awe.

"They say... the wages of the entire planet for a whole week."

"Good job my mum's not here. She'd be fighting the wolf off with her bare hands for that thing."

"And she'd win." Elora commented, making Rose laugh.

"Where is the wolf?" Sir Robert asked, walking away. "I don't trust this silence."

"Why do you travel with it?" Elora asked, nodding at the diamond.

"My annual pilgrimage." Queen Victoria replied. "I'm taking it to Helier and Carew. The Royal Jewellers at Hazelhead. The stone needs recutting."

"Oh, but it's perfect." Rose said.

"My late husband never thought so."

"Now, there's a fact." The Doctor said, taking off his glasses. "Prince Albert kept on having the Koh-I-Noor cut down. It used to be forty percent bigger than this. But he was never happy. Kept on cutting and cutting."

"He always said... the shine was not quite right. But he died with it still unfinished."

"Unfinished... oh, yes!" He shouted in realisation, chucking the Koh-I-Noor back to Queen Victoria. "There's a lot of unfinished business in this house. His father's research - your husband, Ma'am, he came here and he sought the perfect diamond - hold on, hold on -" He ruffled his hair as he spoke quickly.

"All these separate things, they're not separate at all, they're connected!" Elora said, speaking as fast as The Doctor as she picked up on what he was saying. She looked round at Queen Victoria. "What if - this house, it's a trap for you - is that right, Ma'am?"

"Obviously." Queen Victoria replied dryly.

"At least, that's what the wolf intended. But! What if there's a trap inside the trap?"

"Explain yourself."

"What if his father and your husband weren't just telling each other stories." The Doctor said, picking back up where Elora carried on. "They dared to imagine all this was true. And they planned against it. Laying the real trap not for you... but for the wolf." A fine sprinkling of plaster fell from the ceiling, falling straight in front of The Doctor. They all looked up, and the werewolf was walking over the glass dome above them, looking down and growling.

"That wolf there…" The glass began to crack and they all threw their books down and began to run to the door. "Out! Out! Out!" The glass smashed and the werewolf crashed through, smashing the desk as The Doctor, Rose, Elora and Sir Robert destroyed the barricade and ran out into the corridor. The Doctor took one last look at the roaring wolf before Elora pushed him out of the way, slammed the door and pulled him by the tie down the corridor. "Gotta get to the observatory!" He shouted as he tried to part his tie from Elora's hand. The careened round a corner with the werewolf close behind when Rose turned around and stared at the wolf. It was just about to pounce and she screamed as Lady Isobel appeared out of nowhere, throwing a pan of water onto the wolf. Rose screamed again, but the werewolf bounded back down the corridor away from them.

"Good shot!" Elora laughed.

"It was mistletoe!" Lady Isobel said nervously as The Doctor followed the wolf a way down the corridor.

"Come on!" The Doctor shouted over his shoulder and they set off at a run down the corridor.

"The observatory's this way!" Sir Robert shouted.

...

"No mistletoe on these doors," The Doctor said as they burst into the Obsevatory. "Your father wanted the wolf to get inside! Get inside I just need time! Is there any way of barricading this?!"

"Just do your work and I'll defend it." Sir Robert said.,

"If we could bind them shut with rope or something!" The Doctor suggested as he and Elora looked round, oblivious to what the man was saying.

"I said I'd find you time, sir." The Doctor looked over at him, understanding.

"Good man." The Doctor nodded as Sir Robert stepped back out and closed the door. "Your Majesty, the diamond."

"For what purpose?" Queen Victoria asked.

"The purpose it was designed for." She stared at him, unsure for a moment, before handing over the diamond to him.

"Rose!" Elora called, running over to the telescope with The Doctor. "Lift it! Come on!" Rose, The Doctor and Elora began turning the wheel and the cogs started to shift, making the telescope rise.

"Is this the right time for stargazing?" Rose asked sarcastically.

"Yes, it is." The Doctor replied. Sir Robert's screams ripped through to them and they looked up as Queen Victoria held up her crucifix at the door.

"You said this thing doesn't work!" Rose groaned as they resumed pushing at it.

"It doesn't work as a telescope because that's not what it is!" Elora explained. "It's a light chamber! It magnifies the light rays like a weapon. We've just got to power it up!"

"But there's no electricity!" The Doctor grunted and turned to the light chamber. "Moonlight! But it needs moonlight! It's made by moonlight!"

"You're seventy percent water but you can still drown. Come on!" He gasped as the light chamber finally started to align with the moon. "Come on!"

Rose, Elora and the Doctor stepped away from the gears as the moonlight bounded off the prisms. Just as the Werewolf broke through the door, the light spewed forth from the end of the light chamber onto the floor far short of the werewolf. The werewolf advanced towards the Queen, only for The Doctor to dive across the floor and throw the Koh-I-Noor into the beam of light, making a fantastic, prismatic beam of light hit the werewolf. He is lifted off the floor and hangs there, caught in the wash of moonlight. As they looked on, the werewolf retakes human form.

"Make it brighter." The Host whispered. "Let me go." Elora stepped forward and flicked a switch on the telescope. With a finaly howl from the wolf form, the creature vansished and the light shut itself off and Rose gave a sigh of relief. Elora frowned, looking over as Queen Victoria stared intently at her wrist.

"Your Majesty?" Elora asked, slowly walking towards the woman. "Did it bite you?"

"No, it's... it's a cut." She replied.

"If that thing bit you…"

"It was a splinter of wood when the door came apart."

"Let me see." The Doctor said, reaching out to her.

"It is nothing." She insisted, pulling her hand away.

...

The Doctor, Elora and Rose step forward and kneeled before Queen Victoria with smiles on their faces.

"By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee: Sir Doctor and Dame Elora of TARDIS." She tapped The Doctor on each shoulder with a sword, before doing the same to Elora. "By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub the: Dame Rose of the Powell Estate." She then done the same to Rose. "You may stand." They nodded and rose back up.

"Many thanks, Ma'am." The Doctor said.

"Thanks!" Rose grinned. "They're never going to believe this back home."

"Your Majesty, you said last night about receiving a message from the great beyond; I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life. He's protecting you even now Ma'am, even from beyond the grave."

"Indeed." Queen Victoria nodded. "Then you may think on this, also: that I am not amused." The Doctor groaned and Rose looked at her, jubilant as Elora held back a laugh, hiding her face against The Doctor's arm.

"Yes!" Rose laughed.

"Not remotely amused. And henceforth... I banish you." Elora looked up suddenly and the three of the stared at her, stunned.

"I'm sorry..?" The Doctor asked.

"I rewarded you, Sir Doctor. And now you are exiled from this empire, never to return. I don't know what you are, the two of you, or where you're from, but I know that you consort with stars - and magic - and think it fun. But your world is steeped in terror and blasphemy and death and I will not allow it! You will leave this shores and you will reflect, I hope, on how you managed to stray so far from all that is good. And how much longer you will survive this... terrible life." She stepped away angrily. "Now leave my world. And never return."

...

"Cheers, Dougal!" The Doctor called back as the three of them jumped off the cart in the middle of the field. He waved back as they began to walk away and the farmer drove off.

"You know, the funny thing is, Queen Victoria did actually suffer a mutation of the blood!" Elora shrugged, making Rose look at her in shock. "Didn't you know? It's historical record haemophiliac. It used to be called the Royal Disease! But it's always been a mystery because she didn't inherit it. Her mum didn't have it her dad didn't have it - it came from nowhere!"

"What, and you're saying that's a wolf bite?" Rose asked.

"Well, maybe Haemophilia is just a Victorian euphemism."

"For werewolf?"

"Could be!"

"Queen Victoria's a werewolf?"

"Could be! And, her children had the Royal Disease. Maybe she gave them a quick nip."

"So, the Royal Family are werewolves?"

"Well… maybe not yet. I mean, a single wolf cell could take... a hundred years to mature... might be ready by… oooh… early 21st century...?"

"Nah! That's just ridiculous! Mind you… Princess Anne...!"

"I'll say no more."

"And if you think about it... they're very private. They plan everything in advance. They - they could schedule themselves around the moon - we'd never know!" Elora laughed as they reached The TARDIS and The Doctor unlocked the door, the three of them bundling in. "They like hunting! They love blood sports! Oh my God, they're werewolves!"

**A/N - Sorry about the slow update guys! But much more Doctor/Elora in the next chapter. :) School Reunion is one of my favourite episodes, I love Sarah Jane so much! So, yeah, enjoy and review! **


	9. Interlude: Dreams

**A/N - Apologies for no recent updates! I have had storage problems and lost all my chapters I wrote! I will try to update all of my stories as soon as possible, but for now here's a little interlude. I will be writing a parallel chapter of this in the Torchwood drabble story that is part of this series. Thanks for sticking with me through this!**

"I had a dream." The Doctor stuck his head out from under the grating, looking up at Elora standing in one of his jumpers from his previous incarnation and a pair of blue tracksuit bottoms. Her hair was pulled into a loose ponytail and she fiddled with her hands, looking down nervously.

"What about?" The Doctor asked, pushing himself up and sitting on the edge and putting his arm around her calves.

"He was still alive." Elora gulped, putting her putting her hand on his shoulder and lowering herself down, sitting next to him. "And he had my hand and we were running. I don't know what from but... And then I looked back and you and Rose were there, necks bruised and snapped, dead on the floor. Jack carried me off as I screamed, running from whatever it was that was chasing us... Next thing I know we were back on the ship. Mine and Jack's ship, the one we had when you first met us. And it'd been months since you and Rose had died. And we were back to our old life again, conning people."

"You're not that woman anymore, love."

"But in the dream I was. I had Jack back but I'd lost you. The two men that meant everything to me, even in my dreams I couldn't have you both."

The Doctor smiled, "What would your parents say hey? Chasing after two men." He joked.

"They wouldn't say anything." Elora said sadly. "My mum died from the fumes from the Great Atlantic Fog Smog Storm in 200-100. Last thing she ever told me was that she wasn't my real mum." The Doctor sighed, placing a kiss to her head as she continued, "And that my dad- my real dad was still out there, somewhere."

"Do you want to find him?" The Doctor mumbled into her hair.

"No." She breathed, shaking her head. "Just... no."


	10. School Reunion

**A/N - I am so sorry for not updating in ages! I had storage problems on ALL my stories and lost over 30 prewritten chapters for both this and The Dream Lady (Which will be updated soon, sorry!) So here is School Reunion! Enjoy and PLEASE REVIEW! :)**

Elora, dressed in a long sleeved black and pink floral dress, sat down at the table with a huff, slamming her book down on the table and lay her head down on the table.

"Having a good day dear?" The Doctor asked, sitting opposite her. He smirked at Elora, her glossy chocolate hair sprawling across the table.

"Teenagers in the 21st century." A muffled reply came. "It's a lot of work. I'm sorry Doctor, biology and archaeology are _not _the same."

The Doctor smiled, reaching under her hair and pulled out the book in her grasp. He smiled at the small book that resembled the TARDIS, carefully running a finger over the blue panels on the cover.

"Where did you get this?" The Doctor asked.

Elora looked up, rubbing her head slightly, "It was a birthday present."

"It's beautiful." He smiled at her, about to lean over and kiss her when Rose appeared, dishcloth at the ready.

"Two days." Rose grumbled, beginning to wipe the table.

"Sorry, could you just-" The Doctor began, nodding to a bit of gravy on the table. "There's a bit of gravy." He pointed over at it again with his fork and Rose quickly wiped it up. "No, no - just there."

Rose gave him a small glare, making Elora smile, and she wiped it up.

"Two days, we've been here."

"Blame your boyfriend, he's the one who put us onto this." Elora laughed, gently taking her diary out of The Doctor's grip.

"And he was right." The Doctor said in agreement. "Boy in class this morning - got a knowledge way beyond planet Earth."

"You eating those chips?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, they're a bit... different."

Rose reached over, taking a chip of The Doctor's plate, as Elora wriggled her nose in disgust, "I think they're gorgeous. Wish I had school dinners like this." She said, sitting down next to Elora.

"It's very well behaved, this place." The Doctor said, looking round the canteen.

"Mm." Rose said in agreement, popping another chip into her mouth.

"I thought there'd be happy-slapping hoodies. Happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs. Happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones." He stared over at Rose and Elora impressively. "Yeah? Yeah? Oh, yeah! Don't tell me I don't fit in."

A dinner lady approached the three of them at the table, looking at Rose un impressively, "You are not permitted to leave your station during a sitting."

"I was just talking to these teachers." Rose said, standing up.

"Hello!" The Doctor said, giving the dinner lady a small wave.

"He doesn't like the chips."

The dinner lady looked at The Doctor, shocked, "The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance." She turned back to Rose. "Now, get back to work." She turned away sharply and walked away, Rose following.

Rose turned back to Elora and The Doctor, "See? This is me." She gestured down at her uniform. "The dinner lady."

"I'll have the crumble." The Doctor called over.

"I'm so gonna kill you." She muttered, returning to her station. The Doctor turned back to Elora and grinned at her.

"What's the diary for then?" The Doctor asked.

"It was a birthday present from my professor." Elora said simply, opening up the book, showing a picture of herself and Jack inside the small spaceship they used to own, taped to the inside cover. She looked over at The Doctor's confused look, "It was my birthday the day she took me to the Luna University."

* * *

Elora sat on a desk in the staff room, The Doctor standing next to her with his hand gently round one of her calves, talking to a fellow teacher.

"But yesterday, I had a twelve-year-old girl give me the exact height of the Walls of Troy..." Mr Parsons said. "In cubits."

"And, it's ever since the new headmaster arrived?" The Doctor asked.

"Finch arrived three months ago. Next day, half the staff got flu. Finch replaced them with that lot." He nodded over at a group of smart looking teachers on behind them. The Doctor and Elora looked over their shoulders, eyeing them. "Except for the teacher you two replaced, and that was just plain weird, them winning the lottery like that."

"How's that weird?" Elora asked, looking back over with a smile.

"Neither of them never played! Said the ticket was posted through their door at midnight."

"Hmm!" The Doctor said, popping a biscuit into his mouth. "The world is very strange."

"Excuse me, colleagues." A voice called over. The Doctor and Elora looked over at Mr Finch as he entered the room with an older, brunette woman. "A moment of your time." The Doctor stared over at them, eye wide and staring. "May I introduce Miss Sarah Jane Smith." He turned, gesturing to the woman next to him. "Miss Smith is a journalist, who's writing a profile about me for the Sunday Times."

"Sarah Jane Smith." Elora whispered to The Doctor, pulling on his arm. "Oh my god, it's her!" She grinned. Thing is, Elora had heard a lot about Sarah Jane Smith from The Doctor. After The Doctor had found out about Elora finding it hard to sleep without hearing Jack's screams, The Doctor had been staying up, telling Elora stories of all his old friends, and one of Elora's personal favourites was Sarah Jane Smith. Sarah Jane smiled around at all the people in the room and The Doctor slowly began to smile.

"I thought it might be useful for her to get 'a view from the trenches', so to speak." Mr Finch continued. "Don't spare my blushes." He nodded to everyone before leaving the room as Sarah Jane caught The Doctor's eye and approached both him and Elora.

"Hello!" Sarah Jane said cheerfully.

"Oh, I should think so!" The Doctor grinned.

"And, you are... ?"

"Hm?" The Doctor asked, staring at her. "Uh, Smith. John Smith." He said, putting his hand on the small of Elora's back. "My girlfriend, Doctor Elora Johannson." Elora looked at The Doctor out of the corner of her eye, a little shocked at how forward The Doctor was about them, especially seeing as Rose didn't know about them either.

"John Smith?" Sarah Jane asked, smiling at the two of them. "I used to have a friend who sometimes went by that name."

"Well, it's a very common name!" Elora grinned, knowing that was The Doctor's alias, especially when with Sarah Jane.

"He was a very uncommon man." Sarah Jane said softly before holding out her hand to The Doctor. "Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you! Yes! Very nice! More than nice - brilliant!" The Doctor grinned, shaking her hand before Sarah Jane shook Elora's.

"Um... so, um, have you worked here long?"

"No! Um, it's only our second day."

"Oh, you're new, then? So, what do you think of the school? I mean, this new curriculum? So many children getting ill - doesn't that strike you as odd?"

Elora laughed softly, "You don't sound like someone just doing a profile."

"Well, no harm in a little investigation while I'm here."

"No. Good for you." The Doctor said proudly as she began to walk away, to meet some of the other teachers. "Good for you. Oh, good for you, Sarah Jane Smith."

Elora stepped in front of The Doctor, gently lowering his face so he was looking at her, "She's done well for herself." Elora giggled, gently kissing him. "So," She placed another kiss on his lips. "_Girlfriend_?"

"Got a problem with that?" The Doctor asked, watching Sarah Jane who was watching the both of them with a smile.

"No." Elora laughed. "As long as you don't."

The Doctor rolled his eyes, smiling at her and placing a kiss on her forehead.

* * *

The Doctor opened the fire door and cautiously made his way through into a dark corridor, followed by Rose, Mickey and Elora.

"Oh, it's weird seeing school at night." Rose giggled. "It just feels wrong. When I was a kid, I used to think all the teachers slept in school."

"All right, team." The Doctor said, turning back to the three of them. "Oh, I hate people who say 'team'. Um... 'gang'. Um... 'comrades'. Uh... anyway, Rose, go to the kitchen and get a sample of that oil." He said to Rose, and turned to Mickey. "Mickey, the new staff are all Maths teachers, go and check out the Maths department. Elora and I are gonna look in Finch's office. Be back here in ten minutes." He took Elora's hand and the two of them took off up the stairs.

* * *

The Doctor and Elora headed down a dark corridor nervously listening to the screeches and flaps in the distance. The two of them paused for a moment before The Doctor began to stride off. Elora rolled her eyes, quickly following after him.

* * *

"Don't scare her." Elora whispered.

The Doctor and Elora stood by each other in the gym, watching as Sarah Jane backed out of the cupboard that was housing The TARDIS. She slowly turned round and looked at The Doctor and Elora, stunned.

"Hello, Sarah Jane." The Doctor said quietly.

"It's you." Sarah Jane whispered. "Oh... Doctor..." She began to smile as she edged towards him. "Oh, my God, it's you, it's... it's... you've regenerated."

"Half a dozen times since we last met."

"You look... incredible."

"So do you."

"I got old." Sarah Jane said sadly, edging around slightly.

"I just want to say." Elora laughed nervously, interrupting the reunion. "I can't believe I'm meeting you."

"Doctor Elora Johannson..." Sarah Jane said, looking between the two of them. "Is that an alias as well?"

"No." The Doctor said with a smile. "No that's all true."

"All of it?" Sarah Jane asked, raising an eyebrow at him, letting out a small chuckle.

"Yep." The Doctor nodded, scratching the back of his neck.

Sarah Jane breathed in sharply, turning back serious, "What're you doing here?"

"Well... UFO sightings, school gets record results." Elora shrugged, nudging The Doctor in the side. "He couldn't resist."

"What about you?" The Doctor asked.

"Same." Sarah Jane laughed before her smile suddenly dropped. "I thought you'd died." Sarah Jane said sadly, sounding close to tears. "I waited for you and you didn't come back, and I thought you must've died."

"I lived. Everyone else died."

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone died, Sarah."

Sarah Jane shook her head in disbelief, "I can't believe it's you." She whispered. Suddenly, Mickey's wail filled the air and Sarah Jane looked at The Doctor and Elora in amusement. "Okay! Now I can!" The three of them grinned and ran from the gym.

* * *

The three of them ran into the corridor, colliding with Rose as they went.

"Did you hear that?" Rose asked breathlessly, before noticing Sarah Jane. "Who's she?"

"Rose, Sarah Jane!" The Doctor introduced cheerfully. "Sarah Jane, Rose."

Rose looked at Sarah Jane unpleasantly surprised, and shook her hand.

"Hi. Nice to meet you." Sarah Jane said with a fake smile, before turning back to The Doctor. "You can tell you're getting older - your assistants are getting younger."

Rose stared at her, outraged. "I'm not his assistant." She gasped.

"No?" Sarah Jane asked as The Doctor pouted at Elora as she smirked at him. "I get you, tiger." She turned to The Doctor, smiling at Elora. "I mean, your girlfriend is quite young but she trained to be a doctor, so..." She took Elora's hand and pulled her down the hallway with a laugh.

Rose stared at The Doctor in shock, "_Girlfriend_?" She asked. The Doctor scratched his ear awkwardly before the two of them followed after Sarah Jane and Elora.

"I'm actually a doctor of archaeology." Elora giggled.

"Where did you study?" Sarah Jane asked.

"The Luna University."

"You're a Luna girl?" Sarah Jane smiled. "51st century, good education."

"Guys?!" Rose called, pushing Elora slightly.

"Ssshii- Mickey!" Elora began, running down the hallway.

* * *

The four of them bolted into one of the classroom to find Mickey outside one of the classroom surrounded by a load of yellow, vacum-packed rats.

"Sorry!" Mickey gasped. "Sorry, it was only me. You told me to investigate, so I - I started looking through some of these cupboards and all of these fell out of them."

"It's ok." Elora breathed, putting her arm round Mickey's waist in comfort as The Doctor bent down and picked up a few of the rats, examining them.

"Oh, my God, they're rats." Rose gulped. "Dozens of rats. Vacuum packed rats."

"And you decided to scream." The Doctor said dryly, looking over at Mickey.

"It took me by surprise!" Mickey gasped.

"Like a little girl?"

"It was dark!" Mickey said indignantly. "I was covered in rats!"

"Nine, maybe ten years old. I'm seeing pigtails, frilly skirt."

"Doctor, leave him alone!" Elora scolded.

"Hello, can we focus?" Rose interrupted, watching The Doctor pout at Elora lovingly. "Does anyone notice anything strange about this? Rats in school?"

"Well, obviously they use them in Biology lessons." Sarah Jane said to Rose. "They dissect them. Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet. How old are you?"

Elora, Mickey and The Doctor shared a shifty look.

"Excuse me, no one dissects rats in school anymore. They haven't done that for years. Where are you from, the dark ages?"

"Anyway, moving on." The Doctor said quickly as Sarah Jane and Rose shared a dirty look. "Everything started when Mr Finch arrived. We should go and check his office." He chucked the rat at Mickey, and grabbed Elora's hand, pulling her out of the room.

* * *

The Doctor, Elora and Mickey walked down the hallway, nervously watching Sarah Jane and Rose walking in front of them, arguing.,

"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who exactly are you?" Rose asked.

"Sarah Jane Smith." Sarah Jane replied. "I used to travel with the Doctor."

"Oh! Well, he's never mentioned you."

"Oh, I must've done!" The Doctor squeaked. "Sarah Jane! Mention her all the time."

"Hold on... sorry... never."

"What, not even once?" Sarah Jane asked, offended. "He didn't mention me once?"

Rose walked off, and Sarah Jane followed after her as Mickey placed his hand on The Doctor's shoulder. "Ho ho! Mate! The missus and the ex. Welcome to every man's worst nightmare." He turned and looked at Elora. "Well, Rose isn't your missus anymore, is she?" He let out a small cackle and followed after them.

"See this is why it's easier to keep things quiet." Elora sighed. The Doctor reached to gently grab her arm, only for her to move away, walking off. The Doctor groaned, running a hand through his hair before following after her.

* * *

"Maybe those rats were food." The Doctor muttered, sonicing open Mr Finch's office door.

"Food for what?" Rose asked.

The Doctor opened the door and Elora peered inside, looking up at the ceiling.

"Rose... you know you used to think all the teachers slept in the school... ?" Elora whispered, looking up at 13 bat like creatures on the ceiling. "Well... they do." The rest of the group looked in, staring up at the creatures in shock.

"No way!" Mickey whispered, turning on his heel and bolting out, Sarah Jane and Rose quickly following him. The Doctor gently grabbed the hem of Elora's dress, pulling her back and shutting the door.

* * *

The five of them rushed out of the school, Mickey, Rose and Sarah Jane breathless and Elora and The Doctor more concerned than anything.

"I am not going back in there." Mickey said, doubling over breathlessly. "No way."

"Those were teachers!" Rose gasped.

"When Finch arrived, he brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies and a nurse." The Doctor began.

"Thirteen." Elora finished. "Thirteen big bat people. Come on." She turned on her heel, beginning to walk back in, followed by The Doctor.

"Come on- you've got to be kidding!" Mickey exclaimed.

"We need the TARDIS." Elora said, gesturing for the three of them to hurry up. "I've got to analyze that oil from the kitchen."

"I might be able to help you, there." Sarah Jane gasped suddenly. "I've got something to show you!" She grabbed one of The Doctor's arm and one of Elora's and yanked them over to the car park excitedly.

Sarah Jane pulled open the boot of her car and pulled a blanket out of the way to reveal a broken down K9.

"K9!" The Doctor and Elora cheered in unison.

"I've heard so much about this dog!" Elora said excitedly to Sarah Jane.

"Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith - allow me to introduce K9." The Doctor introduced. "Well, K9 Mark III to be precise."

Mickey and Rose shared a glance, "Why does he look so... disco?" Rose asked.

"Oi! Listen, in the year five thousand, this was cutting edge!" Elora said before looking back to Sarah Jane. "What's happened to him?"

"Oh, one day, he just... nothing!" Sarah Jane sighed.

"Well, didn't you try and get him repaired?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, it's not like getting parts for a mini-metro! Beside, the technology inside him could rewrite human science. I couldn't show him to anyone!"

"Ooh, what's the nasty lady done to you?" Elora cooed, stroking K9's head. "Eh?" Mickey stared at her and Rose rolled her eyes as Sarah Jane shot Rose a triumphant glance.

Rose pulled back from the boot, rolling her eyes, "Look, no offense but could you two just stop petting for a minute?" She asked. "Never mind the tin dog, we're busy!"

The Doctor grinned, shutting the boot.

* * *

The five of them sat in a chip shop, The Doctor, Elora and Sarah Jane sat at a table by the window, chatting and laughing as the Doctor tries to fix K9, who had been placed on the table-top.

"You see, what's impressive is that it's been nearly an hour since we met her and I still haven't said 'I told you so'." Mickey said as he and Rose stood at the chip shop counter.

Rose looked away from the three of them, "I'm not listening to this." She muttered.

"Although, I have prepared a little 'I was right' dance that I can show you later." He sniggered.

The shopkeeper handed out her hand to Rose, "Two quid, love."

Rose took the money out of her pocket, handing it over and tucked into the chips straight away.

"All this time you've been giving it, 'he's different!' - when the truth is, he's just like any other bloke!" Mickey laughed as the two of them sat down at a table on the other side of the shop, watching The Doctor, Elora and Sarah Jane.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Rose muttered.

"Maybe not. But if I were you... I'd go easy on the chips." He said, watching Rose shovelling chips into her mouth. With a sigh, she finished her mouthful, putting down the container. Mickey looked at her expression, realising something, "Oh my god, it's not about Sarah Jane, is it?" Rose looked away, popping another chip in her mouth. "You're annoyed they didn't tell us, aren't you?"

"Elora and I are so close, I can't believe she didn't say anything!" Rose muttered. "I can't believe the both of them didn't say anything to _either _of us!"

"It's none of our business." Mickey said as Rose sat back with a sad look.

"I don't understand how she could of travelled with us all this time..." Rose began with a gulp. "And this has only just happened recently, why suddenly now? What has suddenly changed? Why _her_?"

"Maybe there's just something about her that's different?" Mickey shrugged.

"But she's _human_. I know she's from the 51st century but still..."

"Being human has nothing to do with it." Mickey muttered as Rose watched The Doctor and Elora with Sarah Jane.

"I thought of you on Christmas Day." Sarah Jane said as Elora slapped The Doctor's hand away from K9 and took over him, fiddling the wires on K9. "This Christmas just gone? Great big spaceship overhead - I thought, 'Oh, yeah. Bet he's up there'."

"Right on top of it, yeah." The Doctor nodded at Elora. "The both of us."

"And Rose?"

"She was there too."

Silence filled the three of them as Elora fiddled with the wires, trying to get K9 working again.

"Did I do something wrong?" Sarah Jane asked quietly. "Because you never came back for me. You just... dumped me."

"I told you. I was called back home and in those days humans weren't allowed."

"I waited for you. I missed you."

"Oh, you didn't need me!" The Doctor said, brushing her off. "You were getting on with your life."

"You were my life." She said sadly. The Doctor looked up at her as she continued, "You know what the most difficult thing was? Coping with what happens next, and with what doesn't happen next. You took me to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, you showed me supernovas, intergalactic battles and then you just dropped me back on Earth. How could anything compare to that?"

"All those things you saw - do you want me to apologize for that?"

"No, but we get a taste of that splendour... and then we have to go back."

The Doctor smiled at her, proud, "But look at you, you're investigating. You found that school - you're doing what we always did."

"You could've come back." Elora mumbled, glaring at him.

"I couldn't." The Doctor replied quietly, giving her a apologetic look.

"Why not?" Sarah Jane whispered, cutting off the look between the two of them. The Doctor didn't answer, just looking away as Elora put her hand into The Doctor's inside pocket, taking out the sonic and returned to repairing K9. "It wasn't Croydon - where you dropped me off, it wasn't Croydon!"

"Where was it?"

"Aberdeen." She replied irritably.

Elora looked at him, shaking her head before flicking him in the side of the head. "Right." He said, looking at Sarah Jane guiltily. "That's next to Croydon, isn't it?" Sarah Jane smiled and shook her head.

"Oh, hey!" Elora cheered, jumping up as K9 burst into life. "Now we're in business!" The Doctor leapt to his feet and everyone made their way round to the front of K9.

"Master!" K9 cried.

"He recognizes me!" The Doctor grinned, ecstatic.

"Affirmative."

"Rose, give us the oil."

Rose hurried over to them and took out a small jar, handing into to The Doctor. He took the lid off the jar, beginning to dip his finger in.

"I wouldn't touch it, though, that dinner lady got all scalged." Rose said quickly.

"I'm no dinner lady." The Doctor said, looking at her. "And I don't often say that." He dipped his finger in the oil and rubbed it onto K9's sensor. "Here we go. Come on, boy. Here we go."

"Oil. Ex- ex- ex- extract ana- an- analysing..." K9 stuttered.

"Listen to it, man!" Mickey grinned. "That's a voice!"

"Careful! That's my dog!" Sarah Jane scolded, making Mickey look back at her, sheepish.

"Confirmation of analysis - substance is Krillitane Oil." K9 announced.

Elora stared out of the window, shocked, "They're Krillitanes." She whispered, grabbing The Doctor's arm tightly.

"Is that bad?" Rose asked.

"Very." The Doctor nodded. "Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad."

"And what are... Krillitanes?" Sarah Jane asked.

"They're a composite race." Elora began slowly. "Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries - people you've invaded or have been invaded by, you've got bits- bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever - the Krillitanes are the same."

"An amalgam of the races they've conquered. But they take physical aspects as well." The Doctor continued. "They cherry-pick the best bits from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognize them. The last time I saw Krillitanes, they looked just like us except they had really long necks."

"What're they doing here?" Rose asked.

"It's the children." Elora gasped, throwing a hand to her mouth. "They're doing something to the children." She mumbled.

* * *

The Doctor stormed out of the chip shop, followed by Rose.

"How many of us have there been, travelling with you?" Rose asked.

"Does it matter?" The Doctor muttered.

"Yeah, it does, if I'm just the latest in a long line." Rose replied, voice trembling.

The Doctor stopped, spinning back round, looking at her, "As opposed to what?"

"I thought you and me were... but I obviously got it wrong. I've been to the year five billion, right, but this... now this is really seeing the future. You just leave us behind. Is that what you're going to do to me?"

"No. Not to you." The Doctor replied, abruptly.

"But Sarah Jane... you were that close to her once, and now... you never even mention her. Why not?"

"I don't age. I regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die-"

"And what about Elora?" Rose snapped, interrupting him. "She's human."

"It's different."

"How?!"

"It just is." The Doctor sighed. "I'm sorry I fell in love with her."

Rose stared at him, gobsmacked, "You love her?"

"Well, yeah." The Doctor replied awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "I do."

"It just doesn't make sense." Rose said, shaking her head.

"You can spend the rest of your life with me." The Doctor said sternly, making her look at him, eyes shining with unshed tears. "But I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords."

Suddenly, Elora came bolting out of the chip shop, yanking Rose out of the way as a Krillitane came swooping towards them. As Elora pulled at Rose she kicked out, pushing The Doctor out of the way.

"Was that a Krillitane?" Sarah Jane called over from the car boot, cowering with Mickey.

"But it didn't even touch us, it just flew off!" Rose gasped, watching the Krillitane fly off into the night. "What did it do that for?"

* * *

The school bell rang and the children flocked towards the building as The Doctor, Mickey, Rose, Sarah Jane and Elora got out of Sarah Jane's car, striding towards the school. The Doctor paused for a moment, and the five of them stared at the school, knowing the Krillitanes were inside.

"Rose and Sarah, you go to the Maths room." The Doctor instructed. "Crack open those computers, I need to see the hardware inside. Here, you might need this." Rose held out her hand as he took out the sonic, only for her to give it to Sarah Jane. "Mickey - surveillance. I want you outside."

"Just stand outside?" Mickey asked.

Sarah Jane chucked him her car keys, "Here, take these - you can keep K9 company."

"Don't forget to leave the window open a crack." The Doctor said.

"But he's metal!" Mickey exclaimed.

"I didn't mean for him."

"What're you two gonna do?" Rose asked, looking over at The Doctor and Elora.

"It's time we had a word with Mr Finch." Elora muttered, walking off with The Doctor following.

* * *

The Doctor and Elora stood, leaning up the stairwell, looking up at Mr Finch. Mr Finch gave them a hard stare before going on his way.

"Let's go deal with this bastard." Elora muttered, heading up the stairs.

* * *

The Doctor opened the door to the school swimming pool and he and Elora stepped in, looking at Mr Finch standing, waiting on the opposite side of the water.

"Who are you?" Elora asked.

"My name is Brother Lassa." Finch replied. "And you?"

"The Doctor." The Doctor replied.

"Doctor Elora Johannson." Elora said. "Since when did Krillitanes have wings?"

"It's been our form for nearly ten generations, now." Finch said. "Our ancestors invaded Bessan. The people there had some rather lovely wings. They made a million widows in one day, just imagine."

"And now you're shaped human."

"A personal favourite, that's all."

"And the others?" The Doctor asked.

"My brothers remain bat form. What you see is a simple morphic illusion. Scratch the surface and the true Krillitane lies beneath." The three of them began to walk slowly towards the same side of the pool. "And what of the Time Lords? I always thought of you as such a pompous race. Ancient, dusty senators, so frightened of change and... chaos. And of course - they're all but extinct. Only you. The last."

"This plan of yours - what is it?"

"You don't know."

"That's why we're asking." Elora smirked as she and The Doctor became face to face with Finch, tension rising in the room.

"Well, show me how clever you are. Work it out."

"If we don't like it... then it will stop." The Doctor said threatiningly.

"Fascinating." Finch nodded. "Your people were peaceful to the point of indolence. You seem to be something new." He smirked at Elora. "What have you changed him into?" He looked back at The Doctor. "Would you declare war on us, Doctor?"

"I'm so old, now." The Doctor said quietly. "I used to have so much mercy. You get one warning. That was it."

The Doctor and Elora turned, beginning to walk away.

"But we're not even enemies." Finch called after them. "Soon... you will embrace us." The two of them turned back, looking at Finch. "The next time we meet, you will join with me. I promise you." Finch walked past them, smiling, as Elora glared violently at him.

* * *

The Doctor and Elora rushed into the computer lab nervously, to find Sarah Jane and Rose laughing hysterically.

"How's it going?" The Doctor asked. Sarah Jane and Rose looked over, before laughing even harder. "What?"

"Listen, we need to find out what's programmed inside these." Elora begged. The two woman laughed even harder, looking at The Doctor.

"What?" The Doctor asked, confused. "Stop it!"

* * *

The Doctor and Elora sat by one of the computers as Sarah Jane watched behind them, looking anxious. The Doctor ripped a handful out of wires out of the computer, hanging him round his neck before running the sonic along the back of the computer.

"I can't shift it." The Doctor muttered.

"I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything!" Sarah Jane frowned.

"Anything except a deadlock seal." Elora said, looking up at Sarah Jane with a smile.

"There's gotta be something inside here." The Doctor said. "What're they teaching those kids?"

"You wanted the program - there it is." Sarah Jane said suddenly. Elora and The Doctor got up and the three of them and Rose looked round to find every computer and the screen at the front of the room, covered in a green code, a cube flickering on the screen.

"Some sort of code..." The Doctor mumbled.

"No... no, they can't be..." Elora gasped, her eyes widening, realising what it was before The Doctor did. "The Skasis Paradigm." She said sternly, looking at the code on the screen as The Doctor's eyes widened, realising too. "They're trying to crack the _Skasis Paradigm_."

"The Skasis what?" Sarah Jane asked.

"The... God-maker. The universal theory." Elora explained. "Crack that equation and you've got control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control."

"What, and the kids are like a giant computer?" Rose asked.

"Yes." She began to pace the room, working it out. "And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil! That oil from the kitchens, it works as a- as a... conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer."

"But that oil's on the chips. I've been eating them."

The Doctor turned to Rose, "What's fifty-nine times thirty-five?" He asked.

"Two thousand and sixty five." Rose replied quickly. "Oh my God..."

"But why use children?" Sarah Jane asked. "Can't they use adults?"

"No, it's gotta be children." The Doctor said, shaking his head. "The God-maker needs imagination to crack it. They're not just using the children's brains to break the code... they're using their souls."

Behind them, Mr Finch walked into the room, smirking. "Let the lesson begin." He said, and everyone turned to face him as he approached them slowly. "Think of it, Doctor, Doctor Johannson - with the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it."

"Oh yeah? The whole of creation with the face of Mr Finch. Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are."

"You act like such a radical, and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order. Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good."

"What, by someone like you?" Elora laughed bitterly.

"No... someone like _you_." Elora stared back at Finch, stunned. "The Paradigm gives us power, but you both could give us wisdom. Become Gods. At my side. Imagine what you could do - think of the civilizations you could save. Perganon, Assinta... your own people, Doctor. The Time Lord and his Doctor woman... bringing them back. Standing tall. The Time Lords... reborn."

The Doctor and Elora stood, staring back at Finch.

"Doctor, Elora, don't listen to him." Sarah Jane begged.

Mr Finch turned to Rose and Sarah Jane, "And you could be with him throughout eternity. Young... fresh... never wither, never age... never die. Their lives are so fleeting. So many goodbyes. How lonely you must be, Doctor. Join us."

"I could save everyone..." The Doctor whispered, looking into the distance.

"Yes."

"I could stop the war..."

"No." Sarah Jane said desperatley. "The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss - they define us as much as happiness or love. Whether it's a world, or a relationship... everything has its time. And everything ends."

As The Doctor stared into the distance, Elora snapped out of her thoughts, picking up a chair and hurling it at the screen at the front of the classroom and it smashed, shards flying everywhere.

"Out!" She screamed.

* * *

The four of them bolted down the stairs, running into Mickey and one of the students - Kenny.

"What is going on?" Mickey asked.

Suddenly, three Krillitanes half flew, half groped their way along the corridor towards them. The six of them turned on their heels and ran i nthe opposite direction, running into the canteen. They bolted to the other side of the room, trying the doors to find them locked. Elora pulled out the sonic from The Doctor's jacket as Finch burst through the door, followed by several Krillitanes.

"Are they my teachers?" Kenny asked.

"Yeah. Sorry." The Doctor nodded.

"Leave the Doctor and Doctor Johannson alive." Finch ordered to the Krillitanes. "As for the others... you can feast."

The Krillitanes began to swoop down at all of them and The Doctor picked up a chair, trying to beat them off as the others tried to duck out of the way, screaming, when suddenly, one of the Krillitanes got hit by a beam of red light, making it fall to the floor, dead. K9 rolled by and Elora laughed with glee as Finch roared with rage.

"K9!" Sarah Jane cheered.

"Suggest you engage running mode, mistress." K9 said.

"Come on!" The Doctor shouted, getting everyone to run off as K9 shot at the Krillitanes.

"K9, hold them back!" Elora called over her shoulder.

"Affirmative, mistress." K9 replied. "Maximum defense mode!"

The Doctor reached the door, pushing everyone through it. "Come on!" He shouted as he slammed the door shut and Elora soniced the door shut.

* * *

The six of them stood in the pyshics lab as they looked round, trying to find a solution.

"It's the oil." The Doctor said suddenly. "Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil! That's it! They've changed the physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them." He turned to Rose. "How much was there in the kitchens?"

"Barrels of it." Rose said.

They all jumped suddenly as the Krillitanes began to pound on the locked door, claws ripping holes in it.

"Okay, we need to get to the kitchens." The Doctor said. "Mickey-"

"What now, hold the coats?" Mickey asked.

"Get all the children unplugged and out of the school." Elora said, making Mickey smile that Elora was treating his normally.

"Now then, bats, bats, bats, how do we fight bats?" The Doctor asked.

Kenny strode over to a fire alarm, breaking the glass with his elbow and setting it off. The Doctor beamed, flinging open the door and looking at the Krillitanes in the hallway, wincing in pain from the alarm. The all began to run past, dodging the bat like aliens.

Kenny strides over to a fire alarm, breaks the glass with his elbow and sets it off. The Krillitanes immediately wince and quail at the shrill sound. The Doctor beams and flings open the door - the Krillitanes are in too much distress to hurt them. He and the others quickly run past. Finch, gritting his teeth, punches through a wall and rips out a bundle of wires which cuts off the alarm.

* * *

The group bolted down a corridor when K9 emerged from a doorway.

"Master!" K9 cried.

"Come on, boy!" The Doctor said, gesturing to K9 to follow them. "Good boy."

* * *

As they all reached the kitchens, The Doctor immediately ran over to one of the barrels, using the sonic on it.

"They've been deadlock sealed!" He groaned, running over to another and trying to open it. "Finch must've done that - I can't open them."

"The vats would not withstand a direct hit from my laser." K9 said. "But my batteries are failing."

"Right. Everyone out the back door." Elora ordered, running over to the backdoor, pulling everyone out.

"Is it safe to leave him in there?" Sarah Jane asked as she and Elora stood by the door, waiting for The Doctor.

"He's The Doctor, he'll be fine." Elora said nervously.

"Elora." Sarah Jane said softly, smiling at her. Elora looked round at her, staring. "You're so good for him." Elora stared back at her, stunned, not knowing what to say when The Doctor ran out, sonicing the door shut. "Where's K9?" She asked urgently.

"We need to run." The Doctor said, turning and running off.

"Where is he?!" Sarah Jane asked, staring at the door. "What've you done?" Elora grabbed her hand and gently pulled her off.

"Come on, it's ok." Elora said softly.

Elora, The Doctor and Sarah Jane ran into the car park, and up to Mickey and Rose, surrounded by the students, looking over at the school as it exploded and the students screamed with delights, cheering along with Rose and Mickey.

"I'm sorry." Elora said, putting her arm around Sarah Jane as she stared at the school, distraught.

"It's all right." Sarha Jane said quickly. "He was just a... daft metal dog. Fine, really." She suddenly burst into tears... and then Elora did too. The Doctor moved behind them, pulling them both into a hug.

* * *

The next day was beautiful, and The TARDIS was parked in a park. Sarah Jane walked up to The TARDIS when The Doctor stepped out, facing her.

"Cuppa tea?" He asked, stepping aside to let Sarah Jane walk in. She stepped in, looking at the interior of The TARDIS, wide eyed. The Doctor followed her through, shutting the door behind him.

"You've redecorated!" Sarah Jane gasped.

"It's great isn't it?" Elora laughed, sitting on the edge of the console next to Rose and Mickey. "Very different to the last console room you saw, yeah?" Sarah Jane nodded back at her, smiling.

"Do you like it?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh, I, I do." Sarah Jane nodded, looking around. "Yeah. I preferred it as it was, but uh... yeah. It'll do!"

"I love it." Rose grinned.

"Hey, you - what's forty seven times three hundred and sixty nine?"

"No idea. It's gone now - the oil's faded."

"But you're still clever. More than a match for him."

Rose smiled, "You and me both." She looked over to The Doctor, who was fiddling with the console. "Doctor... ?"

The Doctor looked up at Elora, "Um - we're about to head off, but... you could come with us."

Sarah Jane smiled, looking at everyone before shaking her head, "No... I can't do this anymore. Besides, I've got a much bigger adventure ahead! Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own."

"Anyway." Elora interrupted, hopping off the console and heading round to The Doctor. "I think... someone else should come with us."

"Who?" The Doctor asked.

Elora span round, comically pointing at Mickey, "Mickey the idiot!"

Mickey rolled his eyes at Elora, knowing she was joking, before suddenly realising what she said, "Can I?" He asked. He turned to The Doctor as Rose mouthed 'no' to The Doctor and Elora. "'Cause I'm not the tin dog. And I wanna see what's out there."

"Oh, go on, Doctor." Sarah Jane laughed. "Sarah Jane Smith - a Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board!"

"Yes we do." Elora nodded, punching The Doctor in the arm.

"Okay then, I could do with a laugh." The Doctor nodded. Rose rolled her eyes and Mickey laughed in delight, before suddenly noticing Rose's lack of response.

"Rose, is that okay?" Mickey asked.

"No, great." Rose replied awkwardly. "Why not?"

"Well, I'd better go." Sarah Jane said, before pulling Rose to one side.

"What do I do?" Rose asked quietly, glancing over at The Doctor, who'd returned his attention to the computer, then over at Elora who was hugging Mickey. "Do I stay with them? Because he loves _her_. And I love her, she's like my sister, she's my best friend, and she got the guy."

"Yes. Some things are worth getting your heart broken for." She nodded, and hugged Rose. "Find me..." She said, pulling away from Rose. "If you need to, one day. Find me." Rose gave her a small smile and The Doctor and Elora headed over to the door, and the three of them stepped out. "It's daft." She said as she looked back at the two of them. "But I haven't ever thanked you for that time, and like I said - I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"Something to tell the grandkids." The Doctor said.

"Oh, I think it'll be someone else's grandkids now."

"Right. Yes, sorry - I didn't get a chance to ask. You haven't... there hasn't been anyone... ? You know... ?"

"Well... there was this one guy. I travelled with him for a while. But he was a tough act to follow." She laughed slightly and Elora smiled softly at her. "Doctor Elora Johannson." She smiled at her. "Look after him."

"I will." Elora grinned. "Sarah Jane Smith." Sarah Jane quickly hugged her.

Sarah Jane pulled away, looking between the two of them, "Goodbye, Doctor_s_."

"Oh, it's not goodbye-" The Doctor began.

"Say it, please. This time. Say it."

"Goodbye." The Doctor said, looking straight in Sarah Jane in the eyes. "My Sarah Jane." He threw his arms around Sarah Jane, lifting her up in a tight hug before setting her down. The Doctor and Elora shared a smile with Sarah Jane before stepping back into The TARDIS, shutting the door behind them.

* * *

Elora stood later that night, wearing a small black pair of black shorts and an old jumper of The Doctor's from his previous incarnation, fiddling aimlessly with the scanner. The Doctor appeared quietly behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, placing a delicate kiss on the back of her neck.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor mumbled. "For earlier."

"It's not your fault." Elora sighed, switching off the scanner. "You weren't to know Sarah Jane was going to say anything. It's just..." She breathed in sharply, "You knew Rose would react like that." She sighed, "I'm sorry, it's just... I've lost my adoptive mum, I never knew my real parents, I lost _Jack_. If I lost you, Rose and Mickey..."

The Doctor gently turned Elora round, pushing her gently against the console. "I love you." He mumbled, leaning his forehead against hers. Elora sighed, placing her hands on The Doctor's shirt, snuggling inside his jacket.

"Love you too." Elora mumbled.


End file.
